Watsonville, California
June 25, 1955 to July 8, 2017
With his children by his side, Fritz passed away on July 8. A family man and a great friend to so many, Fritz will be greatly missed.
Fritz was born in French Lick, Indiana but raised in Cave Creek, Arizona. He was a graduate of Arizona State University. Fritz began his career in agricultural banking and lending in California in the 1970’s. From his career in banking, Fritz moved into business management primarily within the strawberry industry beginning with the Gargiulo Company but later starting his own strawberry grower/shipper companies.
Fritz is survived by his daughter Alex, his son Keegan, two brothers Rod and Andy, as well as his nieces and nephews, Torin, Donovan and Taylor. He is preceded in death by his parents, Dick and Evelyn Koontz.
Fritz’s wonderful sense of humor and special way of telling stories could always make you smile or laugh. He loved to travel and his music and had quite an eclectic collection on Spotify. Fritz was also passionate about sports and enjoyed both playing and watching them. He had a huge heart and loved feeding and caring for others, which is one of the reasons that he was so passionate about agriculture. He was also always concerned with what was best for those who worked for him and with him.
A celebration of life will be held on Thursday, July 13 at 2:00 p.m. at the home of Armando Ramirez, 287 Casserly Road, Watsonville. Family and friends are asked to bring a dish to share and their favorite Fritz stories to tell.
