Herbert Fritz

Herbert Leonard Fritz was born October 8, 1946, in Chicago, Illinois.  He died at age 79 on December 2, 2025 in Niceville, Florida. 

Herb’s identical twin brother Kenneth died in February of this year from the same genetic pulmonary illness.  The twins were the sons of Harry and Marjorie Fritz.  Herb has a surviving younger brother Gregory. 

Herb attended high school in Dixon, Illinois.  He went to Grinnell College in Iowa where he met his future wife Mary Lou Koch in his sophomore year.  

Herb and Mary married on September 7, 1968, and moved to Davis, California where he earned his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry.  He then did one year of post-doctoral work at Iowa State University before beginning a career at DuPont Photo Products in New Jersey and later in North Carolina. 

Their first daughter Erika Lorell was born in 1971 in California and their second daughter Melinda Diane was born in New Jersey in 1974.  Erika married Dr. Michael Ott in 1995.  They gave Herb 3 grandsons: David Michael, Jonathan Patrick, and Zachary Harris.  Dr. Melinda Fritz married Dr. Thomas Porter in 2003.  They gave Herb a grandson Matthew Christian and a granddaughter Charlotte Louise. 

Herb retired in North Carolina and with his wife Mary created an extensive garden railroad as a hobby.  He was a lifelong Chicago Bears fan and enjoyed watching games with family.

Due to his illness, he and Mary recently moved to Florida to be near their older daughter.  Herb was a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church where he served as both a deacon and an elder.  His love of God and family were very important to him and evident in how he lived his life. 

Herbs Funeral will be Saturday December 13, 2025, at 11:00 am at the Apostolic Christian Church in Tremont.  Ministers of the church will officiate.  His visitation will be from 2-4pm Friday December 12, 2025, at Davis Oswald Funeral Home in Tremont and one hour before the service at the church.  Burial will be at the Apostolic Christian Cemetery in Tremont, Illinois.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation at www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org.   

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