San Luis Obispo Senior High

Rex Fritz

Rex & I became fast friends in 2nd grade. He loved to make people laugh, and I was one of his easier targets. I remember one day in 4th Grade (Sinsheimer School) when he was unusually prolific in a gaseous fashion, both in noise and essence, so much so that poor Mrs. Brown finally sent the entire class out for an early recess while she pulled all the windows wide open.

A more loyal and trusting friend I've not known since. We looked out for each other as much as any pair of 10 year-olds could. When my dad died, Tom & I became part of Rex's family and would stay there after school until my mom got off work. Throughout the following years we had our share of late night TP excursions and Christmas light "collecting", not to mention the all night sleepovers where he was the first to doze off. Mark Alyea and I discovered that the old 'sleeping person's hand in a bowl of warm water' trick worked exceptionally well on Rex.

It was at one of those sleepovers that we played our first Cheech & Chong record. And our first Three Dog Night record. Then we all loaded into his dad's van and went to Thrifty's (on Foothill) and bought us some $19 Teisco guitars right off the rack. That led to our first band, Three Legs, named for the Paul McCartney album and also because that was the first tune we all "learned". Rex and Mark Alyea on guitar, me on a $30 bass I got at the San Luis Jewelry & Loan (the old pawn shop) and my brother, Tom on "drums", a set of boxes and some painted dowels for sticks. I have a cassette recording of that session to this day. It was much later when we learned how to tune the guitars.

We drifted apart a little in High School, he was a C- student that wore the same stupid brown cordurouy coat every day for almost the whole semester.

After SLOSH, he enlisted in the Navy and it slapped him upside the head and literally turned his life around- so much so that they gave him his own command of a nuclear submarine. I called him once to question him on the submarine movie "Hunt for Red October" , and his reply to each of my questions was "Buddy, if I told you, I'd have to kill you!" followed by fits of laughter- but he never answered them. He retired at 43 with his wife (still in the Navy) and 5 kids and lived in South Carolina. He bought a Domino's Pizza back there, and I finally got even for the Red October conversation. I called him and disguised my voice while ordering like, 23 pizzas, and I asked him if the '30 minutes or it's free' deal was in effect. When he asked where I lived I told him San Luis Obispo. The next thing I heard was "Dammit, Jeff!" and (off the phone)"Hey! Stop making those! It's a f *%$* bogus order!"

Rex died in his sleep the following year of a congenital heart condition. Just the week before we had finalized plans for me to fly back to visit and play some guitar again.

Take care, "Retch"- it hasn't been the same without you. 

 - Jeff Bringle