Alfred Fritzinger, better known by friends as AJ Fritz, passed away on New Year’s Eve. The longtime Lehigh Valley radio DJ was 67 years old.
AJ will be missed by the broadcasting community in the area, who knew him as the manager of Lehigh University’s WLVR-HD-2 station and the host of the show FritzRocks since 1996.
Fritzinger returned to the Lehigh Valley after living and working for a time in Brooklyn, NY, at which point he operated a DJ business and pursued his love of music. He was heard on the air at WGPA in the 1980s and WZZO in the 1990s. Shortly after, he took on the role of Manager and Chief Operator at the Lehigh University station. He received the Lehigh Valley Music Award for Best College/Community Radio Personality six years in a row.
Countless tributes have been shared. In a statement, Lehigh University’s Associate Dean of Students, Ashley Lemmons, highlighted Fritzinger’s key role in making the college’s station such a success.
Glen “Mitch” Mitchell of 99.9 “The Hawk” shared his friendship with Fritzinger on social media, saying that he had never known anyone as passionate and knowledgeable about classic rock and blues.
The Facebook pages for WLVR-FM HD 2 and FritzRocks have received multiple comments of mourning on their announcements of the loss.
Fritzinger leaves behind his wife Tammy and four children, along with a larger loving family.
Funeral Services will take place at Cantelmi Funeral Home in Bethlehem on Friday, January 10. Guests are welcome between 9 AM - 12 PM, followed immediately by a memorial service. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations in Fritzinger’s honor to The Gift of Life House in Philadelphia.
