Richard Dean Fritz

The love of my life, Richard Dean Fritz, was born on October 29, 1957 in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania to some wonderful parents, Russell David Fritz and Nancy Carol Fritz. On one October day in 1986, I met this wonderful, intelligent, dedicated to his occupation man that changed my life forever. The next two months on December 1986 he asked me to spend Christmas with his family in Wichita Falls, Texas. As we approached Wichita Falls, I began to quiet down which is so unusual for me, but he assured me everything was going to be fine. On Christmas Eve I was surprised with an engagement ring. He knew at that moment that I was the love of his life and the happiest girl in the world with a $119 engagement ring; something we laughed about the rest of our lives. I inherited the best family a girl could have. Richard and I got married the following May 17, 1987 in San Marcos, Texas at the Gazebo that still stands there today. The rest was God’s will which had been written and Richard and I just walked the road He had paved for us.Richard accomplished a Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos and an ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Richard is a Federal Bank Examiner for 30 years and is the number one Bank Examiner in the region. I use the word ‘is’ because despite his physical presence his legacy will always continue. He also assisted in Washington D.C. as an instructor to many students who respect and will always remember him for his unique and compassionate teaching. On October 31, 2019, Richard retired from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) after 30 years of complete dedication to his colleagues and students. Despite all these accomplishments, he always reminded me that I was his greatest accomplishment.Richard had a love of all sports, especially baseball and tennis. Every fall he would teach school at the training center and would catch a Washington Nationals home game while enjoying Philly cheesesteak nachos. The latter part of June and early July were spent watching the Wimbledon matches. ESPN was always welcome at home as it brought constant updates of his favorite professional and college sports teams.Richard wasn’t just a dedicated person to his love of work, but to his family as well. He was a father to two daughters, Vanessa and Valencia Fritz. He was a humble man and the most selfless person you could ever meet. And these qualities were what meant most to him as a father. Not only that, but a man that the girls looked up to, someone to follow and admire, a father to guide the girls throughout their journey in life, someone to learn from and to respect, and were taught how to love because he showed them the greatest love any person could ever receive. Richard had always said his priority was taking care of his family. We can honestly say, he successfully did that.On July 2019, Richard lost his left eye to cancer. God gave him the ability to complete his retirement paperwork only to lose his eyesight completely in October 2019. Richard loved baseball so much that through the weeks he used a Fungo bat to get from the bedroom to the bathroom with no assistance that only displayed his determination to live life despite the circumstance. Four o’clock would roll around and I’d be making him coffee, oatmeal and of course always turn on channel 48 Fox News. The morning he did not wake up to give me instructions on how to turn on channel 48 for him I knew the time was near. Cancer didn’t take over Richard because God made sure that he made it to heaven cancer-free.Our two girls and I will always keep his Legacy alive. I may have had to say goodbye to the love of my life, but one day we will be reunited in the Kingdom of Heaven for all eternity. Amen.