With aching hearts, the Fritzel family announce the unexpected death of our beloved, William J. Fritzel, “Bill.” He died Monday, July 8, at the Huntsman Cancer Institute Hospital in Salt Lake City. Surrounded by family praying the rosary, he passed peacefully.
The last 31 years, he obstinately rode the waves of cancer and fought frequent storms he persevered to the very end. Bill was born at the Lincoln County Miner’s Hospital in Kemmerer, on Aug. 16, 1942, to Jessie E. Crawford-Fritzel and Anthony Sr. Fritzel. He grew up in Frontier, along the banks of the Hams Fork River in a Utah Power and Light company-owned neighborhood called Fritzelville.
In his youth he developed a love for the outdoors, animals, adventures, fixing cars, dancing, camping and fishing. Bill was a talented mechanic, as well as an exceptional oil field driller and boss. He made Oil field history in 1975, hitting the Rocky Mountain Depth record for the Amoco Production Company’s Bitter Creek #2 Unit #1 Rig in Sweetwater County, making him a member of the Four Mile Club and earning a fellowship in exploratory ultra-deep horizon drilling.
Bill worked in the oil production industry from the late ’60s to the early ’90s. He worked all around the intermountain west — Wyoming, Utah and Nevada into North Dakota to California and Washington state.
Bill took his mechanic skills and worked for various shops the last 30 years in Evanston. In that time, he made many friends. Bill was a social butterfly.
He is survived by his wife, Lorraine Thompson-Fritzel; his sons, Alex D. Fritzel, John (Justine) Fritzel and Bill (Melinda) Fritzel; his daughters, Lillian (Flint) Telford, Julie (David) Wilson and Carole (Jerry) Card; stepdaughters, Ellen (Jeremy) Lockridge, Patricia Lenbek, Joann Hanks, Donna Lenbek and Lori Lenbek; older sister, Mary Houser; his 32 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his son, Jerry Paul Fritzel; brother, Tony Fritzel Jr.; brother, Mike Fritzel; father, Tony Fritzel Sr.; and mother, Jessie E. Fritzel.
Viewing will be from 6-7 p.m. on Thursday, July 18, at Crandall Funeral Home in Evanston, with the funeral service to follow, from 7-8 p.m.
A celebration of life will be held at the Evanston Roundhouse on Friday, July 19, beginning with a community potluck from 5-7 p.m., and followed by a celebration of life community dance (BYOB) from 7-10 p.m.
