Fredrick Kunze

Fredrick J. “Fritz” Kunze, 78, of Belleville, Ill., born Jan. 15, 1927, in Belleville, Ill., died Saturday, July 30, 2005, at his home.

A memorial service for Fritz will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, 2005, at the Performing Arts Center at the new Belleville West High School, 4063 Frank Scott Parkway West, south of Illinois Highway 15, Belleville, Ill.

Fritz attended the one-room Stookey School in Belleville for eight years and graduated from Belleville Township High School with the Class of 1944. In 1948, he graduated from DePauw University, Green-castle, Ind., where he was a member of Sigma Nu Frater-nity. In 1962, he completed a master’s degree in education from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

For some years, Mr. Kunze was with the Foreign Depart-ment of Monsanto Chemical Company. He was also a U.S. Army Korean War veteran, serving with the 302nd Military Intelligence Service Company in Korea.

Mr. Kunze began teaching at Belleville Township High School in 1956 and left in 1962 to supervise Department of Defense and Embassy high school dormitories in Morocco, England, and Turkey. In 1967, Fritz resumed teaching at Belleville Township High School West until his retire-ment in 1988. For most of his teaching career, he served as adviser to the Student Council at Belleville West.

He was also adviser to Westminster Fellowship of the First Presbyterian Church of Belleville for many years. He was Chairman of the Advisory Council to Sigma Nu Fraternity from its beginning at McKen-dree College, Lebanon, Ill., and, in his later years, he served as a volunteer at the Freeburg Area Library.

Mr. Kunze was preceded in death by his parents, Julius and Hermina, nee Gass, Kunze; and a brother, Arthur Kunze.

Surviving are a sister-in-law, Elizabeth Piatt Kunze of Belleville, Ill.; and two nieces, Karen Sue Bryant and Laura (John) Greason.

Memorials may be made to the Freeburg Area Library, Freeburg, Ill., 62243, or to Sigma Nu Fraternity at McKendree College, Lebanon, Ill., 62254.

There will be no visitation. Cremation has been held in accordance with Mr. Kunze’s wishes.

Published in the Belleville News-Democrat from 8/1/2005 - 8/2/2005.