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PNGA Hall of Famer Herb Fritz Passes

Herb Fritz, a past president of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association and a member of the PNGA Hall of Fame, passed away on April 7, 2014 after 91 years of living and enjoying life.

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Born and raised in Salem, Ore., Herb Fritz was a naval air gunner in long range flying boats in the Pacific theater during World War II. After the war he was sent to the University of Washington by the Navy to study electrical engineering, graduating magna cum laude. Whilst playing golf, he and Mary Anne met when they jumped into an abandoned pickup on the UW golf course during a thunderstorm, thus starting their almost 70 year life journey together.

In 1955, Fritz and Mary Anne moved to Vancouver, B.C. where he became a contractor and headed his own business. Along with six others, he developed Nico Wynd Estates, an upscale golf and residential development in White Rock, B.C., which includes the nine-hole Nico Wynd Golf Course.

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He was a great and determined competitor, over the years winning many championships in B.C., Alberta, Washington and Oregon. He twice represented B.C. on the Senior Willingdon Cup team, and won the B.C. Men’s Senior Amateur twice (after his last win, at the age of 66, where he came from behind by shooting a 29 on the back nine, his great line was, “I love beating all those young guys!”). He also finished runner-up twice in the PNGA Senior Men’s Amateur and once in the PNGA Master-40. He shot his age every year from age 64 to 86.

Herb’s years as a Director range from the tranquil time of the 1970s to the rapid growth years of the ’80s. The inevitable stresses and strains of that development led to the fine, far-reaching, organization the PNGA is today. Herb was a steady, fair and capable president through some of the most controversial years. He gave much energy, time and miles traveled willingly through that period.

He was past president of the Vancouver (B.C.) Golf Club, the BCGA (1978-79), the PNGA (1983-85), was a Director of the Pacific Coast Golf Association (1985-92) and was a Governor of the Royal Canadian Golf Association (1978-79). He was inducted into the PNGA Hall of Fame in 1997.

“The PNGA was very special to my mom and dad and we all have very fond memories of his time with the organization,” said Brad Fritz, Herb’s son.