Friedrich Hans Gechter

Fritz was born in Munich, Germany in the year of 1935. His father worked at a printshop during the day, and he and his family lived in an apartment in downtown Munich. His mother also worked and made dresses and blouses for friends and made some pocket money.

Due to allied air raids they lost their apartment and moved to their grandparents outside of Munich. They lived in a spare room without water or heat - a coal stove provided heat and cooling facilities. His father was in the war in Russia and food was very scarce. But they managed!

Since his father was "missed" in action in Russian, he was the provider of the chores of a simple household, helped his mother and his almost always sick sister Helga. His mother, after 10 years of waiting for the return of his father, remarried Benno - he became Fritz's real friend.

Fritz began his apprenticeship in a small print shop in downtown Munich where he remained for four years. He then graduated to become a printing journeyman and was free to work as a printer wherever he wanted to.

After many years of working in different countries and continents as a printer, Fritz started his own print shop with a partner in Seattle - "Magna Color Press" was his income and he owned it for 30 years. It was the best decision he ever made in his life!

Fritz was not a "club" person, but he and his wife Mariel joined the Tualco Grange in Monroe, and there he made many friends and was involved in civic activities.

Fritz belonged to the Classic Car Club of America and restored a 1938 Mercedes 540 Coupe and made the 3rd place at the Pebble Beach concourse in California. It was a big thing for Fritz!

Fritz was always a person of optimism, and in his final years of life brought laughter and wisdom to everyone he encountered. His daughter, Erika, wrote down many of the things he said to her in the last years of his life, such as "Life is wonderful. You just have to look in the right direction."

Fritz is survived by his three children Fritz, Christina and Erika, as well as three grandchildren Aidan, Sophia, and Adrian.