Dr. Todd A. Pritz, 63, of Des Peres, Missouri, formerly of Frazeysburg, Ohio, died January 15, 2014 at Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri.
Born February 21, 1950 in North Canton, Ohio, he was the son of the late William W. Pritz and Ruth (Weise) Pritz. Dr. Pritz graduated as salutatorian of the class of 1968 at Tri-Valley High School in Dresden, Ohio. He graduated magna cum laude from Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio in 1973 and received his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979.
Dr. Pritz practiced medicine in the Boston area for many years as an emergency department physician. As an example of his lifelong pursuit of learning, in 2005, at the age of 58, he entered a fellowship at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis, MO in critical care medicine, which he completed in 2007. In 2007 he began work at St. Anthony's Medical Center in St. Louis as an intensivist in the ICU. He was known for his great compassion for his patients and their families, his soft-spoken and calm demeanor, his unwavering integrity, and his strong moral principles. He constantly sought to further his education and understanding of best practices in medicine in order to provide the best possible care. He was a mentor to many people in his profession and was extremely generous with his time and knowledge.
Dr. Pritz loved his garden and spent many hours trying to make his Midwestern yard resemble a New England landscape. Many lucky dogs had the good fortune to be adopted and spoiled by Todd.
Dr. Pritz is survived by his loving wife, Jeannette Kelly of Des Peres, Missouri, his stepdaughter Sarah Kelly, her husband Mattijs van Maasakkers and their son, Frederik van Maasakkers of Boston, Massachusetts; his stepson Robert Kelly of Seattle, Washington; and his half-sister Sarah Bricolas of Newport Richey, Florida.
Calling hours will be 6pm to 8pm Monday, January 20, 2014 at the Frazeysburg Chapel of Vensil & Chute, 110 West Third Street.
Funeral services will be 11:00am Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at the funeral home. Burial will be in Frazeysburg Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to: The American Cancer Society, Cancer.org, 800-227-2346 or American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Honor Gift) aspca.org, 800-628-0028.