Martin A. "Marty" Pitz

Martin “Marty” “Red” “Orangey” Pitz, 63, passed away peacefully on April 12, 2024, at home surrounded by his family.

Visitation will be from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 18th, 2024, at Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Road where a funeral service will be held at 7:00 p.m. with Fr. David Ambrosy officiating. The family would love to see everyone in a baseball jersey or a Pitz baseball shirt. Graveside services will be held at a later date at Holy Rosary Cemetery in La Motte. IA

Marty was born on July 29, 1960, in Maquoketa, Iowa, son of Donald and Ella (Kloft) Pitz.  He attended and graduated from Andrew High School. On October 15, 2005, he married the love of his life, Sandy Couckuyt, in Maquoketa. Marty worked at Jeld-Wen, Ertl, and Amcon Distributing.

Marty played for the Zwingle Suns in the Dubuque Area Prairie League, of which Marty was a proud member. They both lost a great player, supporter, and friend. He was inducted into the Dubuque County Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022. He continued to play baseball during his Arizona trips even after his cancer has spread to his bones. He always looked forward to those trips so he could reconnect with his teammates from the California, Des Moines, Dubuque and Davenport areas. 

Marty was as tough as they came and was the first to offer a helping hand to whoever needed it. From 1973 to 1977, he boxed for the Dubuque Boxing Club “Frankie Farrell’s Fearless Fighters.” There was nothing he enjoyed more than spending time with his family or being outside, but especially when they happened at the same time. Whether it was going to the baseball diamond, golfing, fishing, trapping, or coon hunting, Marty loved it all.

Those left to honor his memory include his wife Sandy Pitz of Welton, step-sons Cameron Dixon of Dallas, Texas and Jared (Brittany) Dixon of Lexington, Kentucky, grandchildren Addy, Sawyer, and Nora of Lexington, Kentucky, sisters Holly (Randy) Streeter of Fayette, Iowa, Gina Pitz of Platteville, Wisconsin, and Diane (Alan) Magnani of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, brother Mike Pitz of La Motte, Iowa, in-laws Jessica Pitz of Madison, Wisconsin, Leonie Hooper of Moosomin, Canada, Garry (Vivian) Couckuyt, Wayne Patterson, both of Boissevain, Canada, and Ellen Leonard of Kingston, Canada, and multiple nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father Donald in 1994, his mother Ella in 2020, and brother Jordan in 2015.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Marty’s memory to the Zwingle Recreation Area or the American Cancer Society.

Thank you to the staff of Genesis Hospice and our friends and family for their support and prayers.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.