Frederick William Thies

Frederick William (Fritz) Thies Fritz Thies passed away peacefully in his Olympia home on Thursday, April 16th, with his family gathered around him. He was born in New Orleans on January 8, 1926, the sixth of eight children and the son of Emily D. and Siegmund C. Thies, a Lutheran minister, who subsequently had congregations in Nebraska and Kansas, where Fritz enlisted in the Marines at age 17. He fought courageously with the First Marines in the South Pacific, seeing action at Cape Gloucester, and in the thick of the bloody campaigns at Peleliu and Okinawa; he finished his tour as part of the Western occupation of China. When he returned to the states, he attended St. John’s College in Winfield, Kansas on the GI bill, meeting his life-long companion, Verna Mae Prange of Cisco, Texas; they were married in June, 1948. For the next 15 years, Fritz worked as a safety engineer in the petrochemical industry throughout the Gulf coast and Oklahoma, and then moved his family of six to Olympia in 1963, where he sold life insurance and worked as a safety consultant for Labor and Industries until he retired in 1988. In retirement, Fritz wrote his autobiography, and enjoyed reading, refinishing antique furniture, going to garage sales, and loving his family and friends. Fritz has left behind his loving wife, Verna; daughter, Heidi Leitgeb of Battle Ground; sons, Nathan of Olympia, Mike of Seattle, and Marty of Olympia, along with their spouses; eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at Grace Community Covenant Church, 5501 Wiggins Road SE (at Yelm Highway) on May 2, 2009 at 10:00 am. Donations in memory of Fritz can be sent to: Lutheran Braille Workers POB 5000 Yucaipa, CA 92399.