James Michael Fritz

James Michael Fritz, 81, of St. Augustine, FL, passed away on March 30, 2024, at Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine. Mike was born on March 1, 1943, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Louisville, KY, to the late Dremetra May (Wilkins) and William D. Fritz. In 1949, the family moved to Evansville, IN, and later settled in Elberfeld, IN, where Mike was baptized as a Christian at Warren’s Lake. When Mike was a freshman, he attended Elberfeld High School, where he excelled at baseball and basketball. In 1958, the family moved back to Evansville, and Mike enrolled at North High School, where his talent earned him a letter in baseball and basketball. As a senior, Mike led Evansville and the SIAC conference in batting with a .419 average. He was selected to both All-City and All-Conference teams and earned a scholarship to Southern Illinois University. At SIU, Mike continued to sharpen his skills on the field and also participated on the freshman basketball team. Mike’s baseball talent led him to a Major League Baseball Camp tryout, where he was the only player out of a hundred hopefuls to be selected by the Kansas City A’s. He was sent to the Class A Daytona Beach Islanders, where his throw from center field to home plate was the fastest of anyone else in the entire A’s organization, including the major league team. Mike made the local newspaper after a photographer caught on film the instant his bat hit the ball for a grand slam home-run. That photograph had a special place among Mike’s sports memorabilia. In the mid-1960s, Mike left the Islanders and returned to Evansville, where he joined the Army Reserves and was stationed in Fort Campbell, KY. He soon married and started a family, which included three beautiful daughters. During the summers, the family spent time enjoying nature and the activities at Camp Carson in Princeton, IN, where Mike’s father was Property Manager for the YMCA, which owned the camp. Mike continued his love of baseball in Evansville by playing slow pitch softball in a local league, which won several state championships. In 2019, Mike was inducted into the Greater Evansville Sports Hall of Fame. Mike worked in sales for a couple of firms in Evansville, but he was ambitious and wanted to own his own company. That came to fruition in the mid-1970s, when he became owner and President of Mr. Carpet, a successful flooring company. He joined the West Side Civitan Club and was honored with their Outstanding Service Award in 1977. In the 1980s, Mike moved to Dalton, GA, and later to Atlanta, to become a Sales Executive in the flourishing flooring industry that was centered in that part of the country. It was here that Mike met his wife, Claudia. They remained in the Atlanta area until they both retired and moved to St. Augustine, FL, in 2005. When Mike could no longer wield a bat, he turned to golf and regaled his new friends at the Royal Country Club with his dry wit and funny stories. In 2009, Mike got the opportunity of a lifetime when he was selected to be a volunteer gallery guard at the Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA. It was a position he held through 2019. Mike was in charge of Hole #10 and enjoyed sharing the details of that hole and the players he met with curious patrons. One of his favorite stories was about the 2012 Masters, when Bubba Watson shot his ball out of the trees on the second hole of the sudden death playoff to win it all. It was described as one of the best shots in the history of golf. In later years, Mike was joined at the Masters by his grandson and stepson, who were in charge of different holes. Mike was well-known as an outstanding athlete, but more importantly, as a man who loved his family and friends, unconditionally. He adored his wife, Claudia, his three girls, and Nell, his favorite aunt. Mike enjoyed nature and had a heart for animals. He was compassionate, loving, and generous, sometimes to a fault. He had a wicked sense of humor, made friends easily, loved to tease those he cared about, and always made people feel welcome. He will be sorely missed. Surviving Mike are his wife, Claudia Austin Fritz; daughters, Gretchen (Brian) Raben, Kimberly (Scott) Bonnell and Kelly Fritz; stepsons, Darren (Mardee) Austin and Rusty (Jana) Austin; a brother, Steven (Suzette) Fritz; sister-in-law, Ellen Fritz; grandchildren, Tyler (Brooke) Raben, Emma (Jace) Bartley, Elizabeth Raben, Lauren Raben, Evan Bonnell, Ellsa Bonnell, Estelle Bonnell; great grandchildren, Sloan and Mila Raben and step grandchildren, Evan and CJ Austin. In addition to his parents, Mike was preceded in death by a brother, Ronald Fritz. Friends may visit with the family from 1:00 until 4:00 PM on Sunday, April 21, 2024 at Pierre Funeral Home, 2601 W. Franklin Street, where there will be a service held at 4:00 PM. Burial will take place on Monday, April 22, 2024 at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to YMCA Camp Carson, 2034 Outer Lake Road, Princeton, IN 47708 or to ymcacampcarson.org. Condolences may be made online at www.pierrefuneralhome.com.

James Michael Fritz

March 1, 1943 - March 30, 2024