Fritz was born in Athens, Georgia on 8/3/1930 to Evelyn White Thompson and Jasper Fritz Thompson, Jr. He graduated from Emory University in Atlanta with a Pre Med degree and then from the Emory School of Medicine with his Medical Doctor degree in 1955.
Fritz met Nancy Moss in Ponte Vedra, Florida where he was working as a lifeguard and they were married June 22, 1955. Immediately after medical school, he began his five-year residency in General Surgery at George Washington University, completing it in 1963. His training was interrupted and prolonged while he served his country as a Captain in the United States Army for two years and was stationed in Germany with a deployment to Lebanon as an Army surgeon.
Dr. Thompson started his practice in General Surgery at Wuesthoff Hospital in Rockledge, Florida in 1963 and worked there until his retirement in 1998. He was very active in the hospital medical staff leadership serving as Chairman of Surgery and as President of the Medical staff on several occasions. Patients Dr. Thompson cared for continue to ask about him and express that they miss him, even twenty-five years after he retired.
Fritz enjoyed painting, taking art lessons for many years and participating as an artist in numerous local art shows. He was a fan of all sports but was especially a Florida Gators fan. Fritz had swum on the Emory University swim team and continued to swim for exercise as long as he was able. He and Nancy also liked to drive and traveled by car, especially to their favorite vacation spot which was Seaside, Florida. Most of all, he loved his Jazz music. Fritz and Nancy were active in the local Jazz community as well as regular attendees on the Jazz cruise.
He was preceded in death in 2016 by his sister, Kathryn McKenzie from Atlanta, Georgia and is survived by his wife Nancy, his sons Paul (Mindy), Scott, and Gregg (Kimberly). He is also survived by four grandchildren; Abbey, Eric, Sara, and Neal.
A brief celebration of Dr. Thompson’s life will take place at Wylie Baxley Funeral Home in Merritt Island, Florida on Saturday, June 11, from 1pm until 3pm. Individuals interested in attending may correspond with his son, Paul, at [email protected]. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Space Coast Jazz Society or to the American Heart Association.
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