On Dec. 11, 2025, Paul Fritcher died peacefully at his home in Fallon, Nevada. He was preceded in death by his parents. Survivors include his wife, Athena; children, Richard Fritcher and Alicia Stine; five grandchildren, Logan, Candice, Abby, Jordan, and Junior; stepchildren, Brandon Reidenbach and Jeralynne Reidenbach; grandchildren, Mason and Taylor; and one great-grandchild, Kaycee Adams. He also leaves a brother, Ron, as well as many cousins and friends.
Paul was born Sept. 19, 1956, in Detroit to Frances Ruffino. At age 18, Frances and Paul moved from Detroit to Gardena, California. In 1958, Frances married Joe Fritcher, and two years later, they had a second son, Ronald. Around 1963, the family moved to Lone Pine in the Owens Valley.
Paul had an aptitude for mechanical engineering, starting with building bicycles — favoring the Schwinn Stingray. In his early teens, he became interested in electronics and assembled many RadioShack projects, a passion that lasted his whole life and led to becoming a ham radio operator. He also enjoyed model trains.
His mechanical skills developed into building cars, particularly a 1965 Mustang. The engines he favored in these years were the 289 small block and the 351 Cleveland, and his cars grew faster over time.
His attention to detail and skill led to years as a helicopter mechanic with a company in Long Beach, California, which acquired wrecked Hughes 300 training helicopters and reassembled them. Paul was a certified airframe mechanic and could also pilot an airplane.
His career path led him back to the Owens Valley, where he hired on with a geothermal company. He started with them when they began building the Coso geothermal power plant. This gave him an encyclopedic knowledge of the workings of a steam plant. Years later, Paul transferred within the company to the Dixie Valley plant outside of Fallon. Paul could also frame a building.
Paul was an avid hunter and a lifetime member of the Stillwater Firearms Association. During his teen years, he was introduced to a lifestyle of hunting by horseback, pack train, and several-day camping trips. These were yearly events led by his father into the Sierra Nevada. Later, as Paul settled into Fallon, he maintained that passion for hunting. He and Athena favored hunting in Northern Nevada, where they enjoyed the spectacular scenery and bounty of game. He will be greatly missed.
A gathering in Paul's memory is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at the Eagles Lodge, 7977 Reno Highway, Fallon. Please contact 775 423-4354 after Jan. 3 to confirm the time of the service.
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