Fritz Michel Obituary (1933 - 2026)

Fritz Michel July 24, 1933 – July 1, 2026 Fritz Michel, beloved husband, father, grandfather, artist, and man of deep peace, passed away on July 1, 2026, three weeks before his 93rd birthday. Fritz was born in Toffen, Switzerland to Johan and Martha Michel. He was the youngest of eleven siblings and spent the first sixteen years of his life in the family home, Blauenrein, in Aarwangen, Switzerland. He was surrounded by the hills, fields, and natural beauty that would shape his lifelong love of creation. From childhood, Fritz had a gift for drawing and a quiet eye for beauty. Though he once hoped to pursue architecture, he began an apprenticeship in photography. Upon completion of his apprenticeship, Fritz worked at Studio 13, one of the first color photography laboratories in Switzerland. His work helped create large photographic murals for major corporations in Italy and gave him the opportunity to travel throughout Switzerland and Italy, photographing landmarks and historic sites in Venice and Rome. Fritz came to America in 1961 and worked in Texas, where he developed pictures of the first spacewalk. In Houston he met his first wife, Milda Marte, a registered nurse from the Philippines. After marrying in 1964, they moved to the Los Angeles area, where Fritz joined his brothers Paul and Hermann. In 1972, Fritz and his brothers moved to Reno, Nevada, where they built and operated a successful Mercedes-Benz repair shop, Michel Brothers. Fritz and Milda raised three children: John, Lucy, and Peter. Together they built a loving home centered on family, faith, generosity, and forgiveness. Fritz was a devoted father whose love was quiet, steady, and deeply felt. He taught more by example than by words and believed in the goodness of his family. His life reflected patience, humility, gentleness, gratitude, and a reverence for the beauty of the world around him. In 1991, Fritz lost Milda to cancer, a profound loss after 25-years of marriage. After retiring from the mechanic business, he returned fully to art which was partially inspired by a landscape painting he and Milda had purchased during a trip to Hawaii. In his golden years, he completed hundreds of oil paintings which he shared with family, friends and the community. He presented a solo exhibition at the Reno Public Library; a permanent installation of his work may be seen at the Sparks City Hall. He continued painting until his final days. In 1993, Fritz married Rafaela “Pilang” Gadlan who was also from the Philippines, and they shared 33-years of marriage. Rafaela was his loving companion and steadfast source of encouragement through his last days. Together they continued to build a life marked by faith, family, generosity, and care. Rafaela supported and nurtured Fritz’s artistic work and encouraged him to share his paintings publicly (paintings can be seen at skylinestudios.smugmug.com/Other/Paintings). Fritz saw God in all things: in mountains and fields, in sunsets and trees, in music, food, animals, family, friends, and every small miracle of daily life. He was a true man of peace. Fritz is survived by his wife, Rafaela Michel; his children, John (Carrie) Michel, Lucy (Quinn) Greenly, and Peter (Meredith) Michel; and his seven grandsons, Alec, Marcus, Luke, Noah, Matthew, Niko, and Joey. He is preceded in death by his first wife Milda. We will remember him in the sunsets he loved, the landscapes he painted, and the quiet beauty he taught us to notice. A funeral service for Fritz Michel will be held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 2900 N. McCarran Blvd., Sparks, Nevada. Date: July 15, 2026 Viewing: 11:00 a.m. Funeral Mass: 12:00 noon, celebrated by Father Philip Burial: 1:30 p.m., with burial rites by Father Philip Reception: 2:30 p.m. in the church reception hall