![]() ![]() Here they spent many happy years enjoying retirement together. In 1989, Fritz and Estelle moved to Castle Rock, Colorado, to be near Estelle’s family. One of his proudest accomplishments was earning a BA from Stockton University in 1986 at age 66. Upon retirement, Fritz was finally able to accomplish his lifelong dream of getting a college degree. ![]() That very system is still used to control air traffic to this day. For the next 20 years, he worked to develop the system that eventually was adopted nationwide. Computer automation was something new and exciting and once again, Fritz was in on the ground floor. He was asked to train new recruits, and then, in 1960 was offered a job at a research and development center in New Jersey where the FAA was developing an automated air traffic system. He performed this high stakes, high stress job for ten years during which he gained a reputation as not only a top-notch controller, but an excellent communicator as well. It was there, and later in Indianapolis, Indiana, that Fritz became an air traffic controller. Shortly thereafter, they and their growing family moved to Parkersburg, West Virginia. In Akron, he met and married the love of his life, Estelle Lebsock. He began at a remote rural outpost in Akron, Colorado, gathering and relaying weather data at a small airport there. In 1945, commercial air travel was something new and exciting and he jumped at the chance to get in on the ground floor. His division gave support to the Normandy invasion on D-Day and the liberation of Paris.Īfter the war, Fritz embarked on what was to be a 35-year career in aviation. He enlisted in 1942, was trained as a radio operator, serving first in Egypt and then in the European Theater. Then WWII happened and dramatically changed the trajectory of his life. In a decision he grew to regret and later more than made up for, Fritz dropped out before finishing high school to take on various jobs mainly in the restaurant business, working his way up from washing dishes, to bussing tables, to waiting tables. The violin lessons didn’t take, but the nickname did. When his mom saved up some money to give him violin lessons, kids in the neighborhood took to calling him Fritz after the famous violin virtuoso of the day, Fritz Kreisler. One such job was setting up bowling pins while dodging bowling balls (before automated lanes) for 10 cents a day every penny of which he would give to his mother.Īlthough forever proud of his Italian heritage, he quickly adapted to American culture, learning to love Hollywood movies and baseball, both of which taught him at least as much English as he learned in school. As a child, he took whatever odd job he could find. Growing up a first-generation immigrant during the great depression, Alfredo learned the value of frugality and hard work. It was not until nearly 5 years later, when Alfredo was 9, that his father was able to send for the family to join him in Philipsburg, NJ, where he had established a shoe repair business. When he was just 4 years old, his father left Italy to escape persecution from Mussolini’s Fascist regime and find a better life for his family in America. He was preceded in death by his wife Estelle, parents Antonio and Angela Martin, his brothers Amelio and Aldo Martin, and grandson Adam Reed.Īlfredo (Fritz’s given name) was born on in a small town in northern Italy called Pramaggiore. He is survived by his two daughters, Barbara Jacobson (Lance) of Denver, CO, and Amy Reed (Greg) of Salida CO, and his son Anthony Martin (Patsy) of Bedford, VA his sister, Mabel Lucas of Phillipsburg, NJ, sisters-in-law Eileen Lindell and Barbara Lebsock, brother-in-law, Dale Douglass grandchildren Amber Reed, Julie Reed Morales (Joe), Angela Martin (Peter Dybdahl) and Jacob Martin (Fiona MacLean) and great grandchildren Jocelyn and James Morales and Anna and Sam Dybdahl. “Fritz” Martin, of Castle Rock, Colorado, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 16 at age 100, just 68 days shy of his 101 st birthday.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |