Alice FRITZ Obituary

FRITZ, Alice Louise Alice Louise (Ellestad) Fritz passed away peacefully with her daughters surrounding her on September 7th, 2020 after a battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. If you find encouragement in a child's laugh, intense love of family, love for God, thoughtful mentoring of others, or passionate beliefs about justice, pause and think of Alice. She was loved by many in her community for mastering all of these. There was never any doubt that her love was greatest for her children and grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her son Arnold Fritz (1982-1996) and her father Vernon Ellestad (1919-2010), brother Roger Ellestad (1957-2014) and many others who she is now embracing. She is survived by her daughter Renee Hopkins, son-in-law Max Booher, and granddaughter Claire Evelyn Cunningham (age14), her daughter Nyla Fritz, and her daughter Lenea Fritz, son-in-law Jeff Panagos and grandsons Jonah Panagos (age 12) and Baylor Panagos (age 9). Alice is also survived by her mother Evelyn (Evie) Ellestad (1926) with whom she shared an incredibly close relationship that was admired by many. She also leaves behind her siblings, Larry Ellestad with wife Susan and daughter Sundae Delgado, Tom Ellestad with wife Marla and sons Glen and Mark Ellestad, her niece Samantha Weldon, as well as her dear friend Shannon Hintz and many other friends and family who loved her dearly. Alice was born on February 10th, 1953 in in Northern Minnesota. Before she was a year old, Vern and Evie moved their family to Prineville, OR., and then Moses Lake, WA the following year. Alice grew up in Moses Lake, and then raised her four children there. Alice was always a caretaker of many other children in her community sharing love and laughter with them and their parents. When her children were older, Alice worked for the school district and her church. Alice was raised Lutheran, and the church was a vital part of her life. She could articulate her beliefs better than most and she did so often. At her death, she clung to the love of her God and hope in heaven. Her hope in heaven was accentuated by her need to be reunited with her beloved son Arnie Fritz who died when he was 14 years old in the 1996 Frontier Junior High school shooting. Part of Alice died that day, and she would not be fully alive again until heaven. The rest of her life was spent loving on her family, exploring the arts, literature, and poetry, and using her voice as an articulate activist for gun violence prevention with Grandmothers Against Gun Violence (GAGV). GAGV Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded after the tragedy in Sandy Hook, dedicated to eliminating gun violence in America. Alice dedicated much of the final 18 months of her life deeply involved with the work of Spark Central. It combined her passion for art and transforming the lives of young people. She always said that the only way Arnie could have been saved would have been to save the boy who killed him. Spark provided her an opportunity to combine that belief with her passion and talent in the arts. Spark Central is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that ignites the creativity, innovation, and imagination necessary for people to forge the path to their best future. They break down barriers to creativity like cost, confidence, and access by offering transformative programs, access to innovative technology, and a welcoming creative community for youth, teens, and even adults of all economic backgrounds. In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Alice Fritz to Spark Central or Grandmothers Against Gun Violence Foundation. Spark Central 1214 W Summit Parkway Spokane, WA 99201 https://spark-central.org/ 509.279.0299 Grandmothers Against Gun Violence 140 Lakeside Avenue, Suite A-69 Seattle, WA 98122 https://www.grandmothersagainstgunviolence.org/ [email protected] Due to Covid-19, there is not a service planned at this time.