Richard Perlmutter Passes Away

Another classmate from the Mac class of 1965 has passed away. Richard Perlmutter died on November 10, 2015, at his Elizabeth, New Jersey, home.

Richard Marc Perlmutter was active in Douglas MacArthur High School activities. He was in Orchestra his freshman and sophomore years, Sergeant-At-Arms, French Club & AFS Club as a freshman. He was an editor too, being on the Monitor Staff 2, 3, 4; Cadet Staff 3; and Associate Editor 4. He was involved with Take Five 2, Voice of Democracy 2, and 1st and 2nd Place School. He was in the National Honor Society 3, 4, and given a School Science Award 3. He received a Summer Science Scholarship/NIU 4.

Richard obtained two college degrees related to food chemistry. He obtained a B.S. in Dairy Technlogy from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign campus; and a M.S. in Food Science from Michigan State University in East Lansing.

Richard was employed in various positions, all in the food industry. He was worked as a food chemist for an ingredient manufacturer, and also was in the dairy field for many years, primarily in a retail setting. He was a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly named the American Dietetic Association), the nation's largest organization of nutrition professionals.

Richard Perlmutter worked primarily with nutrition labeling as one of his areas of expertise as the owner of Abington Nutrition Services LLC, since February 2010.

The Decatur Herald and Review posted his official obituary that follows:

Richard Perlmutter, 68, of Elizabeth, NJ (formerly of Decatur), passed away Tuesday, November 10, 2015, in his home.

Richard was born July 28, 1947 in New York City, NY, the son of Jack and Thelma (Gross) Perlmutter.

Richard leaves behind his mother, Thelma Perlmutter of Decatur; brothers, Andrew (Carol) Perlmutter of Allendale, NJ; Leonard Perlmutter of Decatur; aunt, Doris Liquorman; cousins Jane Liquorman and Mark Liquorman; and special friend, Edye Ben-Israel.

He is preceded in death by his father, Jack Perlmutter.

A graveside service to celebrate Richard’s life will be 1 p.m. Monday, November 16, 2015, at Fairlawn Cemetery. Memorials in memory of Richard may be made to Temple B’nai Abraham in Decatur.

The family of Richard Perlmutter is being served by Graceland/Fairlawn Funeral Home, 2091 N. Oakland Avenue, Decatur, IL. View the online obituary and send condolences to the family here.

Thanks to Richard Williams and Millie Smith for alerting this site to this sad news.

Fans Field

Many people growing up in Decatur, Illinois, recall fondly watching minor league baseball games at Fans Field. The Decatur Comodores played there, and, unbelievably for the 1950s, were nicknamed the Commies.

For example, my family routinely went to their games. My grandfather, Isaac Coleman, after retiring from farming in Argenta, moved to Decatur and became the head groundskeeper at Fans Field.

In his later years, Grandpa Ike would visit Florida Spring Training camps, and visit with the grown up minor league Commies who where playing for the St. Louis Cardinals or the San Francisco Giants.

Sadly, the powers that be torn down Fans Field stadium, which honestly was a fire hazard since it was all wood, some years ago.

The photograph at top is one of many examples of historic Decatur images available for purchase from herald-review.com

Richard H. Fritz Passes Away

Richard Herbert Fritz, 68, of the Douglas MacArthur Class of 1965, passed away, on Saturday, November 7, 2015.

In school, Richard was Vice President of the Sophomore Class, and involved in Latin Club 2; AFS Club 2, 4; Student Council 3; and then his pre-med career began to show itself as Chemistry Lab Assistant 3, 4, and in Science Club 3, 4.

Richard was very active in the Tennis Team all four years, and his victories were recorded on the sports pages of the Decatur Herald and Review, during his high school years.

His first car, he recalled in 2011 for that year's Mac 65 Class reunion, was a 1951 Plymouth.

Richard Fritz received his medical degree from the University Nebraska College of Medicine (Class of 1974). He did his residency at the Clarion Methodist Hospital of Indiana and at St. Vincent Hospital Healthcare Center.

Dr. Fritz was an internist in Decatur, Illinois and was affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Decatur Memorial Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital. He was in practice for 41 years, specializing in internal medicine.  He maintained an office at 418 W. Wood Street, Decatur, Illinois.

In several Decatur area obituaries, discovered throughout the Internet, one finds messages that families "would like to give special thanks to Dr. Richard Fritz for his care and compassion” to their loved ones before they passed away.

The following obituary was published at the Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home site:

Beloved Dr. Richard H. Fritz passed away at home on Saturday, November 7, 2015. He was 68. Richard was born in St. Louis on May 5, 1947, the first boy of Dr. Herbert C. and Margery (Starr) Fritz. He grew up in Decatur; he left to attend Lawrence University, where he met his much-loved wife of 46 years, Nancy Davis. They were married on August 16, 1969 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Richard attended the University of Nebraska College of Medicine and was in the Class of 1974. He completed his Residency at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, then returned to Decatur to practice Internal Medicine with his father until Herbert retired 12 years later. He was on the staff at both DMH and St. Mary’s, and continued in solo practice until his death. His capable and caring office staff was very special to him, and made his days easier. Many of the staff had been at the office for over 10 years.

Richard loved his family and pets, lifelong friends, his patients and office, trains, gardening even when the heat was high and the rabbits tried to eat his produce, cooking large batches of beans, making burritos with assorted fillings, and being out in the country. He taught his children how to plant and dig potatoes, to always check to see if a train might be coming and if so to stay and watch, and never to go to bed angry. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, son, and brother. He did what he did with passion, was quick to help and generous with his time and gifts, took pleasure in being available to his patients and could always be depended on by all his family. He had a quirky, kind, mischievous sense of humor and a very loving and loyal heart. He loved the Central Illinois landscape and would call home to be sure that his family members knew to look out the window at particularly beautiful sunsets; he was and is dearly loved and will be missed greatly. Richard avidly supported the Macon County Conservation District and served on their Board of Directors and Foundation; it was important to him to preserve the outdoors for the use of everyone. He also had a strong interest in business and economics and enjoyed serving on the Board of the Gerber State Bank of Argenta. He was serving as Director of Decatur’s Harbor Light Hospice and was a member of First United Methodist Church.

Richard is survived by his wife Nancy; daughters Anne (Jan) Jost-Fritz, Manhattan, KS; Julie (Travis Lee) Fritz, Chicago, IL; Becky (Andrew) Owen, Minneapolis, MN; grandchildren Felix and Fiona Jost-Fritz and Oliver Owen; mother Margery Fritz, Decatur IL; brothers Dr. Robert C. (Kate Pendleton) Fritz, Roswell, GA; Dr. Randall J. (Dorothea) Fritz, Rochester, MN, and sister Janet (Ed) Early, Charlotte Courthouse, VA.

He was preceded in death by his father, Dr. Herbert C. Fritz. (Note by Loren Coleman: Dr. Herbert C. Fritz, 95, Decatur, died Friday, August 23, 2013. Richard H. Fritz's father Herbert was born May 3, 1918, in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Dr. Carl Fritz and Edna Lauenstein Fritz.)

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 in the morning on Friday, November 13 at First United Methodist Church, Decatur, with a visitation at the church Thursday, November 12 from 4:00-7:00 in the evening.

Suggested memorials include the Macon County Conservation District, 3939 Nearing Lane, Decatur, IL, 62521, or First United Methodist Church, 201 W. North St., Decatur IL, 62522.

 

(Thanks to Cheryl Lanum and Donna Maddox for the initial sad news.)

Members of the Class of 1965 Are Historical Experts

I recently was at the Boggy Creek Festival and noticed this young woman making a joke of her attempts to take a selfie on this payphone. Figured my classmates may enjoy the irony in this, since a great many things we took as commonplace are now mostly unknown today.

Post-50th Year Reunion, we must re-assume our positions of historians, and tell all of those youngsters out there what all these pictures have to do with culture. Members of the Class of 1965 will understand.

This one is still around