Mary Fritz

Mary Lou Koch Fritz was born November 30, 1947, in Peoria, Illinois.  She died at age 78 on April 28, 2026, in Niceville, Florida.

Mary had recently been diagnosed with a brain tumor and fought bravely.

Mary attended high school in East Peoria, Illinois.  She went to Grinnell College in Iowa, where she met her future husband, Herbert Leonard Fritz, in her freshman year.

Herb and Mary married on September 7, 1968, and moved to Davis, California, where Herb earned his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry and Mary completed a graduate school teaching certificate program.  Mary taught second grade in California and later taught high school biology in New Jersey, and 6th grade language arts and history in North Carolina.  Mary was the first teacher in Durham, North Carolina to become a National Board Certified Teacher.  Mary was very artistic and creative, and those traits were evident in her classroom assignments which were loved by her students.

Mary’s creativity carried over into many of her hobbies and her activities with her children and grandchildren.  Herb and Mary retired in North Carolina and created an extensive garden railroad which combined their interests and talents.  Mary loved spending time with her children and grandchildren and was always eager to share in their lives.  Mary loved making memories with her family and creating professional photobooks that are cherished by all.

Herb and Mary’s 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 and they gave Herb and Mary three grandsons: David Michael, Jonathan Patrick, and Zachary Harris.  Dr. Melinda Fritz married Dr. Thomas Porter in 2003 and they gave Herb and Mary a grandson, Matthew Christian, and a granddaughter, Charlotte Louise.

Mary was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church for the past 40 years where she served as both an elder and a deacon.  She deepened her understanding through her longstanding participation in The Present Word Sunday School class.  Her love of God and family were very important to her and evident in how she lived her life.

Mary fiercely loved, supported, and celebrated her family.   She selflessly dedicated herself to caring for her family her whole life, and most recently was the primary care giver of her husband who passed in December 2025 from pulmonary fibrosis.  As Herb’s care needs increased, Mary and Herb moved to Florida to be near their daughter, Erika.  When Mary received her diagnosis in March 2026, she bravely faced this challenge and vowed to dedicate her life to serving those around her.  She has now joined her beloved Husband in heaven.  Mom – we will miss you always – forever our champion.

Her funeral will be Saturday May 9, 2026, at 3:00 pm at the Apostolic Christian Church in Tremont.  Visitation will be from 1:00 – 2:45 pm also at the church.  Burial will follow at the Tremont Apostolic Cemetery.  Davis Oswald Funeral Home in Tremont is handling the arrangements. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Meals on Wheels Durham (mowdurham.org) or the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org)

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