Frederick Otto Rantz
April 17, 1941 — February 28, 2022
Frederick Otto Rantz
It is time to let the world know that our complicated, talented, vibrant, fertile, music-loving, norm-ignoring, psychedelic, joyful, strong-willed, hypnosis master, magical dance energy, contemplative, philosophical, other-worldly, radiant father, Frederick Otto Rantz, passed away peacefully in his sleep at 3am on February 28th, 2022, after a hard-fought battle against an incurable stroke on February 18th and subsequent complications throughout the following week.
Fred is survived by four siblings: Judy (Redmond, WA), Barbie (Newport Beach, CA), Jerry (Edgewood, WA), and Jenny (Greendale, WI); five children: Freddy (Lake Forest Park, WA), Merry (Lake Roesiger, WA), Devon (Grass Valley, CA), Terin (Fairbanks, AK), and Julianne (various US Navy locations); and eight grandchildren: A.J. (Kent, WA); Arianna (Lynnwood, WA); Lucy, Max, and Cooper (Grass Valley, CA); Lyla and Camilla (Fairbanks, AK); and James (Jacksonville, NC). Fred was preceded in death by his beloved parents, Joe and Joyce, and his beautiful grandson Joe.
Fred was the first-born son of 1936 Olympic rower Joseph Harry Rantz, who was featured in the NYT Bestseller The Boys In the Boat, and wife Joyce Dayette Simdars Rantz. After graduating from the University of Washington, Joe and Joyce moved to Rodeo, CA, for Joe’s employment, and Fred was born at the nearest hospital in Albany, CA. Joe took a job with Boeing Aircraft shortly thereafter and the family moved back to the Seattle area. Fred grew up in Lake Forest Park, north of Seattle. He attended LFP Elementary, Thomas Hunt Morgan Junior High, and Shoreline High Schools. Fred loved music. He excelled on the trumpet, performing “Bugler’s Holiday” in a trumpet trio in junior high school and winning the state competition in high school. He played the guitar; sang in the LFP and Washington Cathedral church choirs; and thoroughly enjoyed karaoke and live band jam sessions. Fred never played on an official sports team, but was very athletic and loved swimming, baseball, football, tennis, basketball and skiing. He also excelled at pinochle, chess, Scrabble, Perquacky, and similar games of contemplation and strategy. Fred enjoyed magic; wrestling; coin collecting; experiencing powerful live music; reading and writing; exploring and adventure; connecting with his many loved ones; and defying socially-accepted standards in nearly all aspects of life.
Fred was a traveling entrepreneur and a man of many trades. He started out as a young newspaper delivery boy who grew to operate a regional distribution shack before graduating high school. He was an accomplished salesman in numerous fields. Fred was a founding teacher/instructor/administrator with The Community School (an avant-garde experiential-learning school for children of the 1960’s and 70’s in the Seattle area). He followed his passions in astrology, self-actualization, and other life-coaching topics as a consultant with Fred Rantz and Associates. He became a master hypnosis therapist, past-life regression specialist, and hypnosis professor. He taught at the University of Washington Experimental College, as well as decades of workshops and trainings. Fred was the owner/operator of Daddy’s Dugout sports card shop in Medford, OR; Thousand Trails campground membership liaison; purveyor of collectibles; and many other opportunities throughout his expansive life. He often returned to his childhood home in Lake Forest Park, WA.
Fred intended to continue his practice of hypnosis; sell campground memberships; and travel in his RV for the rest of his life. This all changed in 2007 when he endured a near-death car accident just hours after learning his father had passed away. Fred spent a month in the Harborview ICU; survived over 50 hours of intensive surgeries; powered through more than six challenging months at a rehabilitation center; and eventually returned to his adventures on the road. Fred’s new reality left him with numerous handicaps; extreme mobility limitations; constant reliance upon crutches; and the next 15 years in one level or another of pain and disability. Somehow still, he approached each day as a fresh start and never lost his sense of humor or his vibrant smile. Fred traveled and partied with his friends and family for as long as he could, and eventually settled his mind, body, and RV back in Lake Forest Park, where his son Freddy owned the family home. These last six years gave Fred much comfort; time to pause and reflect; bonding opportunities with his first-born child; and a sense of peace reconnecting with his roots.
Fred lived every day of his life to the fullest extent possible; doing the best he could with what he had at each particular moment. He was the master of living in the NOW, and his powerful spirit soars as the energy and melody of music and color dancing freely through the stars. Let us honor Fred with deep breath and the communal vibration of ooohhhmmmmmm…
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Freds celebration of life service will be :
Saturday April 30 2022
2:00 pm
In Redmond WA at
Washington Cathedral Church
12300 Redmond-Woodinville Rd NE
Redmond WA 98052
My partners and i had the pleasure of working with Fred through our work with the Fire Department. We all were quite taken with Fred and got to know him a bit. We always looked forward to seeing his constantly smiling face when we got there no matter what his discomfort was at the time. I have never seen a person with such a twinkle in his eyes as he told us some of his stories. He was obviously a unique and special man who knew how to enjoy his life, and it was contagious. After meeting his son Fred Jr and daughter Terin, I know he passed these good traits on to his family. From talking to them and Fred, I feel that this is not considered a “good bye”. It’s a “see you later”. So from my partners Annie and Bethel and myself, see you later Fred my friend and have a great journey! Doug Thornburg
My first meeting with Fred was in 1968 when he was working for the phone company selling yellow page ads. I bought an ad for the phonebook from him and soon after he became a great customer of my new service station business In Lynnwood.
We became good friends and realized we had a lot in common. We both enjoyed music of the 60s and 70s and we began going to concerts and rock festivals having parties on the weekends with mutual friends that we had at the time. Those crazy psychedelic days were wild and unforgettable.
Some of the things we did together over the years where:
We went to Hypnosis classes together in 1970 and he made quite a career of it.
We skied most all the ski areas many times. Some times in a group of friends and many times just he and I.
I had the pleasure of taking him on 11 airplane flights a total of over 17 hours of flying time over a 21 year period (1976-1995) Two of the flights were all the way down to Mt St. Helens right after the eruption.
Fred was an awesome sales person and he became a partner in helping me sell over 10,000 posters of Mt Saint Helens I had made from a photo I had taken in March a month and a half before it blew. It was a very profitable venture for us.
Fred helped me out in many ways in my construction business also and I treated him to a Caribbean cruise where he, my son Adam & I visited Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Cozumel in Mexico.
I also treated him to Hawaii where we had a great time soaking up the sun and he taught me how to play pinochle.
We also went on a few road trips together to Oregon, Washington’s ocean beaches and eastern Washington, again such great unforgettable memories.
Fred and I had countless hours of playing chess, pinochle, scrabble,
chinese checkers and many other games he was very competitive and fun to play with.
Fred enjoyed swimming and he would spend a month sometimes two or three months during the summers, when he was actively RV living, to get some swimming in before he headed south for Winter.
We also spent countless hours in front of the fire grooving on the music in the cabana equipped with a great music system, here at the lake we call “The Temple”. A couple times he invited some of his friends up to visit him here, some with musical instruments or bongos and we would sing and dance for hours together.
To lose such a great loyal friend is not easy but I totally agree with what Doug Thorburn said in his comments above on his wonderful sediments and I’ll catch you on the other side “BUDDY”.
Fred you will be truly missed so many good times spent with you merry and Devon growing up you married me and my first wife we split up and are back together 28 yes later wish you were here to remarry us again you will always be in my heart love you dad…and to merry or Devon if you read this please reach out to me ohhhhhuuuuummmm