Obituary: James E. Fritz

James E. Fritz, PhD, 62, formerly of Cass City, Mich., died unexpectedly June 4, 2008 at home. He was born July 27, 1945.

Jim received his BA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison after which he worked for Caterpillar in Peoria, Ill. He then served with the Peace Corps in Paraguay. Following his Peace Corps duty, he joined the Agency for International Development and worked in South America. Upon returning to the U.S., Jim completed his Masters and his Ph.D. in Instructional Technology at Michigan State University. He began work with Digital Equipment in Boston and later served as a substitute teacher and worked in retail sales.

Born in Michigan, Fritz, as he was known, adopted Boston as his home and brought his mid-western spirit with him. He had an inexhaustible sense of fun and adventure, an infectious laugh and was endlessly open to new people and experiences. He wanted people to enjoy his company and share in his interests and joys, which included music, watching sporting events, golf, tennis, gardening, art, bridge, travel and politics. His apartment on St. Botolph Street was filled with an eclectic collection of paintings and artifacts that he acquired from his travels. He was such a sports enthusiast that if there was a game on television all other plans were put on hold. He was a member of the Arlington Street Church and could be seen occasionally in the pews of Trinity Church in Copley Square enjoying the music. He was a great storyteller, recounting his youth in Cass City, the youngest son of the town's dentist, the adventures in his fraternity, and his time spent in Paraguay. He was known for his quirky mid-western proverbs such as "And if grandma had wheels, she'd be a bicycle!" His unique presence will be missed deeply by his friends and the many people he touched during his life.

A memorial service will be planned sometime in the future. All inquiries can be made to Trey Campbell at [email protected].