ARMIN L. PITZ

Armin L. Pitz, 66, Retired Shipbuilding Executive, Dies
After 38 Years in Manitowoc Industry
Armie L. Pitz, 86, who retired in 1953 as vice president and superintendent of
construction at the Manitowoc Shipbuilding, Inc., after 38 years in the ship-
building industry here, died unexpectedly Sunday noon.
He had been in his basement workshop and was called to the telephone at the
home, 820 N. 12th St., and was stricken with a heart attack. He died before
he could be moved to the hospital.
Since his retirement at the yards here, Mr. Pitz has been assisting in an advisory
capacity for the Sand Products Co. at Muskegon, Mich., converting an ocean craft
into a Great Lakes auto carrier. He has been returning to Manitowoc for weekends.
Father was City Engineer
He was born in 1888 in Manitowoc, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. L. K. Pitz. His
father was one of the early day city engineers in Manitowoc. After graduating from
high school he located in Cleveland, Ohio, working for the New York Central Railroad.
He moved west to Wyoming, where he entered the University of Wyoming, also working
on an irrigation project there for two years.
He enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was graduated from that
school in 1911. He was employed at the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co. at Quincy, Mass.,
then building submarines for the British navy. Later he worked for the War Department
on shipbuilding work at New Orleans.
In 1915 he returned to Manitowoc, to work as a draftsman for the then Manitowoc Ship-
building and Dry Dock Co. He advanced to chief draftsman in 1917 and five years later
to general superintendent in charge of operations. Later he was named a vice president
of the company. He was an ardent aviation fan and for a number of years owned and
operated his own plane.
During the long span of 38 years he was associated with the shipbuilding industry he
supervised the launching of 196 ships of all types, including tanks, carferries, lake
freighters, selfunloaders, barges, 28 submarines for the U.S. Navy during World War II,
and landing barges for the Army and Navy.
Supervised John C. Munson
The last ship sent away by Mr. Pitz was the selfunloader John G.
(Continued on Page T-9) (Continued from Page 1)
Munson, Nov. 28, 1951. The 666 foot Munson was the largest ship ever built in the
Manitowoc yards.
On his retirement in August, 1953 Mr. Pitz was tendered a farewell party at which
President William Wallace of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Inc., announced the retiring
official would continue in an advisory capacity at the yards.
Among Mr. Pitz’s hobbies was building models of lake ships built at the Manitowoc yards.
These models were exact miniatures of these craft, down to the minutest detail.
A few months ago Mr. Pitz was summoned to Muskegon, Mich. to help supervise conversion
of an ocean ship purchased by the Sand Products Co. for use as an automobile carrier on
the Great Lakes.
When the Heresite and Chemical Co. was launched in Manitowoc, Mr. Pitz became a stock-
holder and also served as vice president of the company for several years.
He served on the Executive Committee of the Great Lakes section of the society of Naval
Architects and Marine Engineers. He was also a member of the Manitowoc lodge of Elks.
In 1936 he married Miss Frances Hussey. She survives with three daughters, (private),
and a son, (private); two brothers, Col H.E. Pitz, USA retired, of San Francisco, Calif.,
Col. O.G. Pitz, USA retired, of Yorktown, Va.; three sisters, Mrs. James E. Thiell, and
Miss Lillie Pitz of Rockford, Ill., Mrs. C. G. Chloupek, of Green Bay.
Friends may call at the funeral home until the hour of services.
Manitowoc Herald Times, November 22, 1954 pp 1, 29
********
[d. 11-21-1954/age 66 yrs.]