EDDIE ALEX BARTSCH, JR.

1921-2017

Eddie Alex Bartsch, Jr., died October 20, 2017 while watching his beloved Houston Astros beat the New York Yankees. Born November 3, 1921 in Houston, Texas to Eddie Alex Bartsch and Lonia Evora (Rice) Bartsch, he was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters, Emily Grace Logan and Katherine Evora Bartsch, his adopted daughter Judith Kay, his brother-in-law Bill Frey and his wife Dorothy; his sisterin-law Nancy Pottschmidt and her husband Gerald; and by his wife of 55+ years, Betty Louise (Frey) Bartsch. Survivors are: four adopted children—including Joel Alex Bartsch, his wife Susanne and their children Tristan, Caitlin and Kyle; and David Paul Bartsch and his wife Rhonda and family; numerous nieces and nephews including Andrew Pottschmidt, Chris Pottschmidt and family, Steve Pottschmidt and family, Anna Pratt and family; niece Sally Ann and husband Steve Foster and family, and nephew Eddie Bartsch and wife Joy and family; niece Gayla Pearl Campbell, and nephews William James Logan, Jr., Derral Frey and Loyd Frey. A life-long member of the Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod, Bartsch was a 13-year member of the Board for Parish Services of the Texas District, ending that service when, together with his wife, he took up residence at Lutheran Camp Lone Star near La Grange, Texas for three years to support his wife as Director of the year-round camp for christian outdoor ministries. He served various congregations as President, Elder, Sunday School Teacher and handyman. At Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Houston he served on the School Board, as Sunday School Superintendent, Elder, Chairman of the Board of Elders, and on the Executive Board of Elders until elected to the Board of Directors for two terms. He was a member of the first graduating class from Lamar High School in 1938. After World War II, where he served in the U.S. Navy as an Engineering Specialist, Lt. J. G., he resumed his education and graduated from Rice Institute with a BS in Electrical Engineering in 1947. He was a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas and Louisiana, a Life Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and an Emeritus Member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. He supervised design and construction of thousands of miles of distribution and transmission lines, including total reconstruction after Hurricane Carla in several parishes in Louisiana. As head of electrical design groups for consulting engineering firms, including his own private practice, his projects included design for a new Atomic Energy plant in Colorado, the central air conditioning plant for the “Hemisfair” in San Antonio, revisions and upgrades to nearly every building and power system at Johnson Space Center, enlargement of Milby High School, and hundreds of other schools, churches, office buildings, industrial plants and power distribution systems. His designs for the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in downtown Houston received a major national award from the IES. He also served for many years on the Board of Standards for the City of Bellaire, Texas. He retired from his engineering practice in June of 2002 at age 81. He worked hard, was a conscientious and detail oriented person and loved his family very much. When the kids were grown, he and his wife loved to travel and go to Astros games. He loved and supported his talented and caring wife who was a people person, a Lutheran Schools teacher, a full time mother and a full time volunteer for church, school, nature conservation, Girl Scouts, Red Cross, and outdoor camping who, in her spare time, loved watching even more Astros games.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Endowment Fund of Pilgrim Lutheran Church; to the Christian Community Service Center, 3434 Branard, Houston, Texas, 77027; The Star of Hope, 6897 Ardmore, Houston, Texas, 77054; or to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, 5555 Hermann Park Dr., Houston, Texas 77030.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 26, 2017 from 6 to 8 pm at Pat H. Foley & Co. funeral home, 1200 W. 34th Street, Houston, Texas, 77018. There will be a graveside service for close family and close friends on Friday, October 27, 2017 at 10:00 am at Woodlawn Cemetery 1101 Antoine Street Houston, Texas 77055.