Harry Gretz

Harry Singleton Gretz WEDDINGTON - A great man died August 29, 2015. Harry Singleton Gretz was born on October 23, 1942. The son of Mary Bacon and William Charles Gretz, III, of Abington, PA, Harry was the second of five children. He grew up in the realms of the Gretz Beer Dynasty (Philadelphia) and could always amuse us with outlandish tales - blowing up the prep school bathroom with his brother Butch, lighting a campfire in his bedroom, and the parade of his pet ducks during a formal dinner with the Anheuser-Busch families. Harry was the quintessential self-made man. He started Trans-American Equipment Corp. 30 years ago and grew it into an industry-leading forklift sales and rental company. He was widely known and greatly respected within the industry. Harry was also a founding member of the Charlotte Queens Cup Steeplechase, a member of both Firethorne Country Club of Marvin, NC, and the Vesper Club of Philadelphia. However, Harry's true legacy is his family. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Stephanie Spires Gretz of Weddington, NC; a daughter, Dawn D. Gretz of Brooklyn, NY; the mother of his children, Marian C. Gretz of Swarthmore, PA; his daughter Wendi Gretz (Scott) of Atlanta, GA; son, Brian Gretz (Trude) of Wesley Chapel, NC; sister-in-law, Paula Elias (Richard) of Encino, CA; and two sisters, Margorie Rossi and Susan Fletcher of Abington, PA, along with numerous nieces and nephews. Harry's greatest achievement was receiving the unbridled love and respect of his grandchildren, Anna, Megan, Benjamin and Caroline "Noodles" Gretz. How blessed we are to live so close to Grand-Pop and Grammy and be able to create many loving memories that time will never erase. We would like to thank Stephanie Gretz for many years as Harry's wife and caregiver and for donating a kidney to Harry, thereby giving us precious additional years to build memories. We offer a special thanks to Dr. Christopher Buehrig and staff. Your dedication and commitment to Harry's care has been without borders and we are so deeply grateful. He was proud to call you a friend. Our heartfelt thanks also to the Union County EMS personnel for their heroic efforts and to the Union County Sheriff's officers for their immeasurable compassion and respect. Lastly, we would be remiss if we did not mention the truly greatest love of Harry's life - anything furry. Harry loved all creatures, but none so much as his four precious cats. Therefore, in lieu of flowers, Harry would be honored if you would make donations to the Humane Society of Union and Mecklenburg Counties, the Angel's Dog Rescue and Adoption, or to a charity of your choice. A memorial service will be held at Heritage Funeral Home, 3700 Forest Lawn Dr., Weddington, NC, on Saturday, September 5, 2015, at 11:00am. Reception to immediately follow. Bring your favorite stories to share of a life well-lived, and a man well-loved. Condolences may be shared online at http://www.heritagefuneral.net/m/ obituaries/Harry-Gretz/memories.