SARASOTA, Florida – Renee Fritsch passed away after a brief illness on October 28, 2025, at age 93.
Renee and her beloved husband Bob celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary in June, and their life together was transformative. Renee grew up in the Catskills in Monticello, N.Y. and met Bob at 18 when they both worked at The Concord resort. They married in 1954 after her graduation from Oswego State Teachers College and moved to Cambridge, Mass. for Bob to attend Harvard. Renee taught school during the day and typed Bob’s papers at night – he has often said she earned an Associate MBA in those two years.
Bob’s career took them back to New York City, then western Connecticut and ultimately Cherry Hill, N.J. where they lived for 36 years. They have three children: Alec (Cheryl), Susan (Andy) Cohen and Daniel (Judy) as well as six grandchildren, Sara, Glenn (Tara), Clayton (Bri), Katie, Bea and Lena. Grandma Renee (or Neenee to some) was a devoted mother and grandmother, and a wonderful, strong role model. She was also elegant and caring, a faithful friend, with a beautiful smile and an easy laugh, and was an involved member her community.
Renee and Bob had a full life together – they loved to travel and experience new plac-es and foods, many of which Renee would re-create when they got home. She was an avid cook (a talent she passed on to her children) whose motto was, “If you can read, you can cook!” In the 1970s, Renee co-founded an authentic Chinese banquet business with her friend Pansy Wang. She was also quite an athlete, playing both competitive tennis and later golf, as well as being a zealous fan of the Celery Fields, a man-made walking park created next to a bird sanctuary. Her favorite days began with “walking The Hill.”
To honor her memory and fondness for this favorite place, the Friends of Sarasota County Parks has established a special project titled Celery Fields (Fritsch) in the “donation” drop down: https://foscp.org/donate/