Carl Lewis Fritz

Carl Lewis Fritz, age 93, of Grants Pass, died Tuesday, December 23, 2014 at Norris Adult Foster Care Home.

A celebration of life for Carl & Helen Fritz will be at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at Newman United Methodist Church in Grants Pass.

Memorial donations may be made to Newman United Methodist Church Memorial Fund.

Carl was born November 2, 1921 in Faulkner, Iowa where he grew up. Two days after he turned 21 and was drafted into the United States Army, he married Helen Whitney on November 4, 1942 on their lunch hour where they both worked in the aircraft industry building war aircraft in San Diego. They celebrated their 73rd anniversary last month.

A member of “The Greatest Generation,” he was then shipped out of Fort Ord, California and served in the Pacific Theater. He was wounded twice, recuperated at Fort Lewis and was awarded the Purple Heart. After the war he lived in San Diego and worked as a Texaco Man in a service station, at MCRD (San Diego’s Marine Corps Recruit Depot) and for the San Diego Unified Schools. In 1953 he built a home in Lemon Grove, California. In 1991 he and Helen moved to Grants Pass.

Carl and Helen were members of Lemon Grove United Methodist where he served on the Board of Trustees. After moving to Grants Pass they became members of Newman United Methodist Church for the last 23 years where he served as an usher. His Army uniform is displayed in the Veteran’s Museum at the White City Domiciliary.

He enjoyed traveling around America before moving to Grants Pass. He also enjoyed yard work, especially roses and gardening. Carl could fix anything and had an immaculate home and especially enjoyed being around people. For ten years, he also served as a volunteer with the Grants Pass Police Department where he patrolled the city’s handicapped parking zones.

Survivors include his wife, Helen Fritz of Grants Pass; a daughter, Joyce Leiffer and her husband, Don, of San Bernardino, California; a son, James Norman Fritz of San Diego, California; three grandchildren, Cherie Fritz of San Diego, California, Donald Carl Leiffer and wife Collene of San Bernardino, California and Patricia Reed of Bakersfield, California; two great-grandchildren, Dylan Reed of Bakersfield, California and Antoinette Leiffer of San Bernardino, California and many nieces and nephews in Iowa.

Preceding him in death was a step-great-grandson, Brandon Crosswhite (Leiffer) on March 11, 2014.

His ashes will be given back to the earth in the Leiffer Grove in the Jedediah Smith Redwoods National Park.