The Observation Deck

Dear Friends,

I regret to inform everyone that former Lakewood High School Orchestra director, Fritz Schaufele, passed away on December 23.

Fritz was 83.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Lakewood High School's Music Department.

There will be a memorial service this Saturday, December 28th at 11 a.m. at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 18001 Detroit Ave.

Fritz and my dear late dad, Bob Rice, worked together on many musical projects when they directed music for the Lakewood schools.

Perhaps they are working together again. I would like to think so.

Gary Rice wrote:Dear Friends,

I regret to inform everyone that former Lakewood High School Orchestra director, Fritz Schaufele, passed away on December 23.

Fritz was 83.

Sad news, Fritz was way more than a music educator, though that is what the community knew and loved him as most.

One day I ran into him in Wing's Hobby Shop, and we were all talking various things including the Isetta which I had driven up in. We spoke of how odd, and Fristz spoke of driving them in Germany and how they kept track of the gas. This was just the information I needed that day from the most unlikely of sources. The Isetta does not have a gas gauge and only held 2.5 gallons of gasoline, which was more than enough for 150 miles, but, not that much. He fashioned me a proper dipping stick, and he showed me how to make it easy to read, everything.

As I came to learn over many cups of coffee with Fritz at the Root Cafe, his knowledge base was huge, as was his first hand knowledge.

Godspeed Fritz.

.

I met Fritz when a plan was first floated for town homes along Sloane near the old Irish Cottage. It must have been around 2001. He had come to speak at a city council meeting, which seemed to be the first time the proposal was discussed in public. I was working for the Sun Post at the time and introduced myself to learn more. He showed me his house, which was very near the bend in the road, and which he had restored himself, including a hallway with an arched, barrel ceiling, and also the hand fabrication of ornate moldings with contoured planing tools. It was impressive work. In pace requiescat.