George Armand Ditz Jr.

DITZ JR., George Armand
George A. Ditz, Jr., a member of a prominent, California pioneer family and well-known San Francisco Bay Area businessman, died June 8, 2006 in San Francisco at the age of 89. Born in Stockton, California, he attended local public schools, received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University in 1938, and his Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Business in 1940. He entered the United States Navy in 1941 and served with the aircraft carrier forces aboard the USS Hornet in the Pacific as a Naval Officer. He met his wife, Lorraine, a Navy Wave officer, on the east coast during WWII. They were married January 13, 1945 and moved back to California after the war. In 1949, he and his brother, the late John Adams Ditz, formed "Ditz Bros," which acquired the Caterpillar and John Deere tractor distributorship in San Jose, California. Additionally, in 1953, along with the late Robert L. Crane, they established Ditz-Crane Homes, which grew into one of the largest premier home-building companies in the western United States, producing more than 30,000 residences in California and Arizona. In 1970, Ditz-Crane was sold to San Francisco-based McKesson Corporation; Mr. Ditz became President of the newly formed McKesson Property Group. In 1975, he became a director of McKesson Corp. and President of McKesson Chemical Company, positions he held until his retirement in 1982. Active in civic affairs, he was a former Trustee of the California Historical Society, a past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the California Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center, past Co-Chairman of the United San Francisco Republican Finance Committee, and Trustee Emeritus at Menlo School and College. He contributed greatly to the YMCA of San Jose in the 1950's, and received the Distinguished Citizen Award in April of 1964 from the City of San Jose. He was an active member of the Bohemian Club, the Pacific Union Club, the San Francisco Golf Club, Burlingame Country Club, Cypress Point Club, El Dorado Country Club, Marrakesh Country Club, and the Sainte Claire Club of San Jose. His participation with the Rancheros Vistadores, the Sonoma County Trailblazers, and the Frontier Boys equestrian groups provided years of pleasure horseback riding with his father, brother and friends in the rural areas of California. He was preceded in death by his mother, Janet Adams Ditz; father, George A. Ditz; sister, Janet Ditz Ford; and brother, John Adams Ditz; he is survived by his wife of 61 years, Lorraine Watson Ditz, and five children - Diane Ditz Stauffer of Stockton, George A. Ditz III of Watsonville, Lorraine Ditz McCarthy of Los Angeles, William W. Ditz and David A. Ditz of Colorado Springs, Colorado, twelve grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. Memorial services will be held at Grace Cathedral, 1100 California Street, San Francisco on Tues., June 20, 2006 at 1:30 p.m. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be sent to the Stanford University Rugby Foundation Fund, c/o Stanford University Office of Planned Giving, 326 Galvez Street, Stanford, CA 94305-6105.