James Arthur Fritz

James Arthur Fritz Sr. was born on January 6, 1948, in Cleveland, Ohio, the third child of Edward A. Fritz and Eva Marie (Weideman) Fritz. With his family by his side, he passed away peacefully on his 68th birthday after suffering a heart attack a week earlier.

Jim grew up in Ohio, attending St. Bernadette Elementary School in Westlake and St. Edward High School in Lakewood. With a strong work ethic instilled in him by his father, Jim was never without a job from the time he was 12 years old. He mowed lawns, delivered newspapers and cleaned the dance studio owned by a family friend. After high school graduation in 1966, Jim joined the Stagehand’s Union with his late Uncle Lynn Fritz and worked as a projectionist. This eventually led to a job with Universal Studios, where he was a booking agent for motion pictures. At his request, Universal Studios transferred him to Dallas, Texas, in 1970. Jim switched careers in 1981 and joined Hollis Engineering as a service technician in the electronics field, then 10 years later he started his own company, Jafco Products, which manufactured parts for wave soldering machines. During this time, Jim obtained two patents for parts that he designed. In 2010, Jim sold Jafco and opened a Mail Boxes Etc. store in Costa Rica. While he led many entertaining group vacations there, running a business in the Central American coastal community was a different matter. Jim returned to Dallas nine months later, retiring in 2011.

Jim’s retirement was an active one. He combined his dedication for work with his servant’s heart to help others, becoming his neighborhood’s de facto guardian, handyman and best friend. Fritz, as everyone called him, was the go-to guy, enthusiastic to help people in need — even those who didn’t realize they needed help. Every day neighbors would see him patrolling the property in his white pick-up truck, waving hello, chatting and looking for ways to be of service, whether it was helping with a repair, looking out for homes while the owners were away or sharing the latest news. All who knew Jim enjoyed his amazing sense of humor, quick wit and penchant for dramatic storytelling — and there weren’t many who didn’t know him.

To know Jim was to also love his cooking. Whether he was preparing Judy’s breakfast, cooking intimate dinners for family — where he often interrogated “so how is it” before anyone had had a chance to take a first bite, or hosting neighborhood fish fries that featured his legendary ceviche (a recipe that he honed while living in Costa Rica), Jim demonstrated affection through food.

While he was a proud father, he was an even more adoring grandfather. This included three step-grandchildren, which his daughter-in-law remembers “he accepted as his own blood.” Weekend sleepovers were common, with games of Monopoly, toys strewn across the living room floor, and new pictures, notes and drawings to display on the refrigerator. The collection has grown over the years, but Jim wouldn’t dare remove anything for fear of being admonished by someone who could barely reach the kitchen counter.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents and oldest brother, Edward. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Judy Lynn (Hill) Fritz; son James A. Fritz Jr., daughter-in-law Marysol “Marty” (Cevallos) Fritz and grandchildren Heidi Lynn and Hayden James Fritz and Hannah, Nate and Lincoln Kopetsky; son Christopher James Fritz, daughter-in-law Amy (Hilgert) Fritz and grandson Garrin Christopher Fritz; sister Barbara Marini and brother-in-law Terry Marini; brother Richard Fritz and sister-in-law Christie McCartney; and many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be Sunday, Jan. 17, 2 to 5 p.m., with Rosary beginning at 4:30 p.m. at Calvary Hill Cemetery and Funeral Home, 3235 Lombardy Lane, Dallas. A funeral Mass will be held on Monday, Jan. 18, 2016, at 11 a.m. at Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church, 1404 Old Gate Lane, Dallas, Texas. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in Jim’s honor to DFW Rescue Me (www.dfwrescueme.org/).

Arrangements under the direction of Calvary Hill Funeral Home, Dallas, TX.