James Michael Pitzer, Sr

Jim died on February 4th, peacefully at home. He was 83.

Born in Mandan, North Dakota on December 12, 1938, to Clarence and Monica Pitzer.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Monica, his brother Don, and granddaughter Baby Heaven Anna.

Jim is survived by his wife of 63 years, Marie,  three sons and three daughters. Sons Jim ( Brenda)  Enumclaw, Tom (Debbie) Tacoma, Mike (Tracy) Puyallup, Daughters Sonja McKenney (Corey) Tacoma, Heidi Cies, Denver,  Gretchen Eberle, Vermont and 25 Grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren.

Surviving siblings, sisters Janice (Larry) Ziels, Bellingham, Jeanine ( Jack) Coughlan, Liberty Lake, Wa. and brother Guy (Arlyce) Colton, Wa.

Jim was born and raised in Tacoma. He attended Visitation grade school and then graduated from Bellarmine in 1957, where he met and fell in love with his childhood sweetheart, Marie Allotta. They married in 1959 and spent the next 63 years together.

Jim was a paperboy for the Tacoma News Tribune until he went to high school. His Grandma and Grandpa Leingang were on his paper route, so he would stop in for a cookie and milk everyday. Fishing was his first love and he would ride his bike to Wapato lake every Saturday.  Later, when he got his first car, American Lake was his destination and  while other high school couples were out dancing, Jim grabbed Marie and off they went to every lake around! It was a hobby he loved to share with his family and as the kids grew up,  he dug a large pond  for them at their home in Roy, and stocked it with fish each year!

When he turned 18 he got a job at People’s Store in So Tacoma in the display department and after he graduated he went to work at Boeing. Later, when they moved to the country he bought a logging truck and worked for West Tacoma News Print.

Jim’s pride and joy was his family and the many things they did together. He coached baseball for all the boys; the older girls were active in 4-H and almost every weekend,  Jim would load up their horses and off we would go to their events.

He loved to play golf, travel, and take as many of the grandchildren along with them as the motor home would hold. He was blessed with the gift of art and would entertain the kids with drawing cartoons for them. He loved baseball, horse racing, flying, camping, and hunting trips and he even tried skiing. He loved his hunting dogs but especially “Stagger Lee”.

In 1968, Marie talked Jim into taking a German classes, which he did, and he was hooked. Jim decided that he would take their then, four children, to Germany and they took up residency right outside of Heidelberg, Germany for several months.

We will all remember Papa for his bacon and egg breakfasts when the grand kids would stay over and he would wake them in the morning singing, “Oh my Papa” until all were around the table.

He had so many wonderful stories about his grandfather Mike and remembers when he was a little boy in North Dakota on the farm. Grandpa Mike would take him on the horse around the property and he would pretend he was a cowboy.  Husband, Father, Papa and Friend. He will forever be in our hearts.

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