Dave Fritzen was a force of nature — full of contradictions, a master at making friends despite his backhanded compliments and loving insults as he pointed out what he found obvious. He had an incredibly generous spirit and was full of fun, but you never knew what might come out of his mouth, which was half the fun of having him around.
Founder and editor in chief of Santa Barbara Magazine, Dave was also a father, husband, uncle, grandpa, friend, cousin, and entrepreneur, with a powerfully creative and observant spirit. His magic: He shaped the world around him into his own vision, making others believe in the inevitability of his vision, so much so that they began to assist in its creation. He used that gift in the creation of magazines that inspired dreams of homes and islands. Despite a long and serious illness, Dave’s death was a surprise — a testament to his ability to create his own reality. My dad lived wholly in the present.
When Dad was born in June 1944, his father, Vernon, was still away fighting WWII, so father and son wouldn’t meet until Dave was already walking. His younger brother Don was his best friend his entire life; my sister and I grew up with cousins who were more like siblings. Dave’s mother, Lorene, represented everything loving in his early life, and he spoke reverently of her until his very last days. Her death from cancer when he was in his early thirties was one of the greatest tragedies of his life.