Wanda Wirtz

Born in Long Beach, CA, in 1931, Wanda was a unique soul and a matriarch of strength. With her bright red hair and piercing blue/green eyes, Wanda was both an oak tree of support for her family as well as a gentle soul to those who knew her personally.

Wanda was a homemaker back when it was a true occupation. She also worked as a secretary before starting the San Diego family-owned and operated tile and stone company Wirtz Tile with her husband and son. She left the company in 2001 to pursue retirement.

San Diego County was her home. She lived in National City, graduating from Sweetwater High School in 1949. She and her husband, John, and three children made National City home for many years. After her children were raised, Wanda and John moved to Spring Valley. Her final move brought her to the quaint, quiet town of Ramona, the place she felt most at peace.

Wanda’s passions were a dichotomy of interests. From competitive ballroom dancing and traveling, to long lazy afternoons of gardening (she loved her roses and flowers) and reading. She traveled abroad and stateside, loving all aspects of exploring the world. In addition to personal endeavors, Wanda’s compassion for animals was no-more apparent than seeing her interaction with her late dog Bogie, the dove that visited her front porch in Spring Valley every year to lay and raise its young, the hundreds of hummingbirds that occupied her backyard in Ramona, and her very-much alive and ornery ragdoll cat, Poppy. She was a charitable donor to both the ASPCA and Humane Society.

Affectionately known as Grandma “Red” to her grandchildren, she drove with the license plate frame “Hot Rod Granny” on her cars for years. Her red hair and matching red cars truly defined her character: strong and fiercely independent, yet loving and compassionate. To say she will be missed by all who knew her, is an understatement. However, our lives have been made richer by her presence.

Survivors include daughters Elaine Williams of Ramona, CA and Diana Barnicle of Yuma AZ, son John D. Wirtz of Escondido, CA eight grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. Wanda was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, John Q. Wirtz and her beloved sister Evelyn Pursley.

A viewing and memorial will be held in the Little Chapel of the Roses at Glen Abbey Memorial Park in Bonita, CA starting at 10AM (service at 11AM) on Tuesday, December 16. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to The Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).