Forrest Mae Fritz, 87, of Stroudsburg, passed away peacefully Tuesday December 27, at The Grace Park Senior Living Well. She was the wife of the late Jerrold E. Fritz with whom she shared 61 years with before his passing in August 2016.
Born on August 21, 1929, she was the daughter of the late Clarence and Anna Skinner, of Fulton, Ohio.
Forrest was a graduate of Cardington High School and upon graduation began working as a secretary at a local business. Shortly thereafter she decided to pursue her dream of singing and left her hometown of Fulton for Shawnee, Pennsylvania to train and perform with Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians. It was during this time that she met her future husband, Jerry, at the Colonial Diner in Stroudsburg, Pa.
In 1961 she began her new career as an employee and later supervisor at the Monroe County Job Center in Stroudsburg, Pa., where she would enjoy a very successful 28-year career. Upon retirement Forrest worked part-time at the NEPA Community Federal Credit Union, working side by side with her husband, Jerry.
Forrest’s life-long passions were both music and cooking, while she also enjoyed photography during her retirement years. For many years, she sang with the choir at the United Methodist Church of East Stroudsburg and was a soloist on many occasions. Forrie, as she was known by her family and friends, went from expanding her culinary skills by cooking a wide variety of meals for her family to going international via a monthly gourmet cooking club with friends in the area. Forrie then went on to competing in the annual Pocono Record recipe contest from 1981 to 1993 finishing first on four separate occasions, second once, and was a finalist numerous times. Her fruit cake, sugar nut cookies, and clam dip were family favorites at this time of year and will be missed by all who enjoyed them.
Forrie was very active in the community as well, participating in both the Kiwanis Golden K and the Stroudsburg Business and Professional Women’s Club. Jerry and Forrie are both fondly remembered in the neighborhood by all who would run into them as they walked their pugs daily, warmly greeting everyone they passed.
In addition to her parents, and her beloved husband Jerrold, Forrest had been preceded in death by her daughters: Jeri Anne Jumper and Teri Anne Ace, and her brother Robert Skinner.
Those left to cherish her memory include her son Frederic Fritz of Royersford; her grandchildren: Kaitlin Fritz; Timothy Fritz and his wife, Lindsay Burgess; Jason Jumper; Cheyenne Fahr and her father Bob Fahr; and her great-granddaughter, Charlotte Fritz; and several nephews and nieces.
Friends and family are welcome to gather on Tuesday, January 3, 2017 from 10-11am at the East Stroudsburg United Methodist Church, 87 South Courtland Street, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301. The funeral services will begin at 11am with Pastor Todd officiating. Burial will follow at Prospect Cemetery, 501 Prospect Street, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Alzheimer’s Foundation, 1-866-232-8484 or alzfdn.org.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Lanterman & Allen Funeral Home, 27 Washington Street, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301. Online condolences may be made via Lantermanallenfh.com
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