Bea Maria Fritz

Beate M. Fritz, 98, of Coffee Springs, AL, passed away Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at her home.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at St. John the Evangelist Church with Father Zachary Greenwell officiating. The family will receive friends at the church from 10:00 A.M. until 10:45 A.M. The Rite of Committal and burial will follow in Mt. Carmel Cemetery.

Bea was preceded in death by her husband, Bertold R. Fritz.

Bea was born on January 28, 1928 in Hindenburg, Upper Silesia, Germany. In the waning months of the war, her family fled the approaching Eastern Front and resettled in Ehingen, West Germany where she completed her final year of high school (Gymnasium). She then went on to the University of Freiburg to study languages. During this time, in 1949, she also spent a semester abroad in Bristol, England, to continue her language studies while living with a British family as an au pair. Back in Freiburg, she met Bertold and completed her masters degree at the university. Next she returned home and taught languages (German, English, French) at Gymnasium Ehingen. In 1955 Bea and Bertold married and moved to Heide, Germany in order for him to start his career with Texaco. The following year they started a family and ultimately raised five children. The family moved several more times and in 1978 made the move across the Atlantic to settle in Connecticut with their three younger children. In 1986 Bea and Bertold decided to retire in Coffee Springs, Alabama and follow their new calling as tree farmers and to develop their beautiful Treasure Forest.

Bea loved to travel and stay active playing golf, swimming and she was an avid tennis player, enjoying the sport into her 90s. She loved growing vegetables in her garden and tending to the beautiful flowers that surrounded the house. She was also a volunteer in her community, giving her time to worthy causes including volunteering at the local Crisis Pregnancy Center.

Bea is survived by four sons, Michael M. Fritz (wife Ulrike) of Lohne, Germany, Christian C. Fritz (wife Regina) of Natick, MA, Patrick P. Fritz (wife Laura) of Millington, TN, and Bert N. Fritz (wife Ursula) of Spring, TX; and daughter, Nicola M. Fritz of Bridgton, ME; 18 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in memory of Mrs. Fritz be made to Catholic Relief Services at 228 W. Lexington St., Baltimore, MD 21201.