Obituary of Joseph J. Wirtz

Mr. Joseph John Wirtz, age 65, of Wake Forest, North Carolina, passed away Sunday May 19, 2013, in Boone, NC. Born October 23, 1947, in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, he was a son of the late Ervin and Betty Keyes Wirtz. Joe was a U.S. Army veteran and served in Vietnam 1970-1971. He retired as Human Resource Director from Pitco Frialator, Bow NH, had his own HR consulting business, and was very active in related professional organizations in Concord and Manchester, NH. He loved traveling, spending 10 years living and traveling with his wife and cats in their RV across the US and Canada. He was an avid Green Bay Packer fan and supporter of Habit for Humanity. He graduated from St. Mary's University of Minnesota in Winona in 1969 and from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1972. He is survived by his wife, Terri Wirtz; siblings Mark Wirtz, Liz Wirtz Suprenand and husband Dan, Dan Wirtz and wife Christine, all of Fond Du Lac, Tim Wirtz and wife Cindy of Watonga, OK, and Mary Wirtz Skinner and husband Mike of Heath, OH; nieces and nephews Amy Collett and husband Chad, Missy Late and husband Travis, Kelly Stauffacher and husband Kent, Tiffany Wirtz, Holly Minion and husband Andrew, and Tammy Skinner; sisters-in-law Bernadine Tompkins, Jean Critchlow, Joan Parrish and Laureen Ipsen, one aunt, Edna Smith, and numerous other nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Memorial services will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to RV Care-A-Vanners, Habitat for Humanity, 121 Habitat Street, Americus, GA 31709-3498. Online condolences may be shared with the Wirtz family at www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com. Austin & Barnes Funeral Home & Crematory of Boone, NC, is serving the Wirtz family.