Fritz W. Koerting

Fritz W. Koerting, age 85 of Ridgefield, passed away on October 3, 2010 following an extended illness. Mr. Koerting leaves his beloved wife of 57 years, Lola; daughter, Claudia of Gales Ferry; and son, Walter and daughter-in-law, Frances of Shelton; as well as his four cherished grandchildren, Katrina, Daniel, Stephen and Austin. Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia on August 25th, 1925, he was the son of Dr. Walther and Hannah Koerting. He relocated to Munich, Germany in 1945. Mr. Koerting worked with the U.S. Forces in post-war Germany in various roles including press correspondent, interpreter and analyst. In 1954, Fritz and his wife came to the United States and settled in his Ridgefield in 1961. Mr. Koerting was an active member in the community. During his early days in the region, he was a member of the South Salem, N.Y. Fire Department reaching the rank of lieutenant. He was a charter member of St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Ridgefield, having also served on the Church Council. For many years he was president of Treffpunkt 68, the regional German-American Club. Mr. Koerting was chairman of the Ridgefield Municipal Building Committee which oversaw a number of projects in Ridgefield including construction of the current Ridgefield Police Station, numerous school renovations and the development of the East Ridge athletic fields. He was employed with Perkin Elmer Corp. in Wilton for 17 years, where he held a number of positions. He then became president of Rodenstock USA in Danbury, a company globally recognized for innovative ophthalmic and eyeglass manufacturing, until his retirement in 1992. Mr. Koerting was a member of the Board of Directors of the Vision Council of America where he served as Board Vice President. He was also on the Board of Directors of the OMA: the Optical Industry Association. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, November 6th at 11 a.m. at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 6 Ivy Hill Road in Ridgefield, CT. The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the caregivers from the VNA of Ridgefield who showed great compassion and care to Mr. Koerting during his extended illness. Contributions in Mr. Koerting's honor and memory can be made to the Ridgefield Visiting Nurses Association, 90 East Ridge,Ridgefield, CT 06877 (www.Ridgefieldvna.org).