Fritz Fauser Obituary (1928

Fritz Fauser Fritz Fauser, age 94, our beloved Husband, Dad, Opa, and Opa Great, of Oro Valley, AZ formerly of Peoria, Arlington Heights and Chicago, IL passed away on August 14, 2022 at Casa de la Luz Hospice Center in Tucson, AZ after a brief illness. Fritz was born May 25, 1928 at home in Bondorf, Germany to Friedrich and Rosine (Christ) Fauser. Surviving are his beloved wife, Ingeborg Fauser, and his two daughters, Barbara (Tony) Plattner of Hanna City, IL and Sigrid (Bob) Newman of Oro Valley, AZ. Also surviving are 5 Grandchildren, Jared (Amy) Plattner of Hanna City, IL, Blake (Becca) Plattner of Heath, TX, Brent Newman of Novi, MI, Rachel (Marty) Stephens of Sparks, NV, and Lisa (Ryan) Cornell of Scottsdale, AZ. Also surviving are 9 Great Grandchildren, Ariya, Tess, Kali, Trey, Russ and Jay of Hanna City, IL, Lenna and Livie of Heath, TX and Isla Cornell of Scottsdale, AZ. One brother, Karl (Lina) Fauser of Bondorf, Germany. Preceding him in death were his parents and his sister and brother-in -law Ruth (Richard) Wagner of Bondorf, Germany. Fritz met his future wife Ingeborg Jatzke in Czechoslovakia a few days after WWII had ended in May of 1945, he a 17 year old German soldier and she along with her family was with a group of 1500 refugees after they were bombed out of their home in Berlin, Germany. Fritz and Inge were married on April 21, 1951 in Bondorf, Germany. After the war Fritz worked for the American Army in Boeblingen, Germany where he was a mechanic repairing trucks and tanks and other equipment. That helped him become proficient in speaking English. Fritz and Inge emigrated to America on board the Queen Mary arriving in New York Harbor on January 20, 1952 and a day later arrived in Chicago, Illinois where Fritz’s uncle sponsored them with a job for Fritz in his construction company. In 1967 Fritz changed careers and became a model maker for Marvin Glass and Associates, a toy design studio. A designer would draw out a new toy or game and Fritz would make the first model of it and then the company would sell their design to toy manufacturers like Mattel, Kenner or Milton Bradley. Some of the toys he worked on were Toss Across, Tin Can Alley and all the Evil Knieval toys. Fritz loved playing the accordion, harmonica and mandolin and could play any tune by ear. His favorite hobby though was flying gliders and he was a member of the Chicago Glider Club for many years. In 1972 he completed building his HP11 V-tail glider after 5 years, the last 3 years finishing it in the basement of his home. The first flight he took in it lasted for 5 1/2 hours. Fritz and Inge also loved dancing polkas and square dancing and they took 2, year long, RV trips all around the US, Canada and Nova Scotia and spent many winters in a campground in Gulf Shores, AL. In 1999 they made a trip out to Arizona with their RV to visit friends and ended up loving it so much that they bought a home in Sun City Vistoso, Oro Valley, AZ in 2000 and started a new hobby of hiking the trails of Catalina State Park and many of the scenic parks and trails in Arizona. That kept them healthy and in good shape as they hiked well into their 90’s. Fritz also enjoyed sculpting class, crafting wooden toys for kids in the hospital and being a monitor for the woodworking shop at the Sun City Vistoso Activity Center. There was nothing that Fritz couldn’t fix and he gladly helped anyone who needed something repaired. When asked about his secret to a long life he said, “Merlot wine and dark chocolate!” His final act of selflessness was to donate his body to science. He also requested no formal memorial services but that when his ashes were returned that they be scattered in the wind where the wildflowers grew in the desert by the saquaro cacti overlooking the mountains where he and Inge so loved to hike. Soar high Fritz, we will love you always in our hearts.