Freddie "Gene" Kretzer

Freddie “Gene” Kretzer of Needmore, PA, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 8, 2025, after a valiant battle with dementia and other health issues.

Born on Friday, September 16, 1938, in Dargan, MD, to the late Charles Franklin “Bud” Kretzer and Ercel Juanita (Knight) Kretzer.

Gene is survived by his wife of twenty-three years, Peggy Sizemore Kretzer; his son Steven (Jennifer Weiss) Kretzer and his granddaughter, Evelyn Kretzer, all of Columbus, OH; his stepchildren, Jennifer Rohrer, John Bane IV, Jason Bane, Joel Bane and Lashawn Bane, as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Gene is also survived by his siblings Marlene (Ray) Barger, of Hagerstown, MD, Donna Smith of Baltimore, MD, and William Smith of Fairplay, MD.

He was preceded in death by his wife Jo Anne (Pack) Kretzer and siblings Linda Maxine Lewis, Theresa Tate, Ricky Kretzer, Larry Kretzer, Charles Kretzer, and Frank Kretzer.

Upon graduating from high school, Gene joined the Marine Corps, where he served for ten years before transferring to the Army so he could pursue his dream of flying. He was a decorated combat veteran, serving three tours of duty as a helicopter gunship pilot in Vietnam. Between active duty and the reserves, Gene served his country in the military for forty-two years.

In the early 1970s, Gene settled in Columbus, OH and served as an air traffic controller for the next twenty-five years, maintaining his love of flying through the Army Reserves until 1998. He then built his dream house on the side of a mountain and retired in rural Pennsylvania, where he lived out the rest of his days tending the property, traveling, and enjoying his family.

Gene will be remembered for his kind and giving nature and his unwavering love for his family. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

The family will receive friends from 10:00a.m. to 12:00p.m. on Monday, May 12, 2025, at the Hancock Assembly of God, 431 N Pennsylvania Ave, Hancock, MD 21750.

Funeral service will follow at 12:00p.m. at the Hancock Assembly of God. Pastor Don Preston will officiate. Burial will take place at Tonoloway Primitive Baptist Church, 571 Thompson Road, Needmore, PA 17238.

Memorial contributions can be made in Gene’s name to The Rheumatoid Arthritis Foundation or Hospice of Washington County, MD.

Arrangements were entrusted to Grove-Rogowski Funeral Home, 141 West Main Street, Hancock, MD 21750. Online condolences can be expressed to the family at www.grfuneralhome.net.