Obituary of Marie Brietz

Marie Wilkinson Brietz Mrs. Brietz passed away peacefully on December 31, 2010 at the Harris Hospice Center of Presbyterian Hospital following a stroke and several years of declining health. A memorial service to celebrate Marie?s life will be held at First United Methodist Church at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, January 3, 2011. Interment will be held prior to the service at 2:00 pm at Sharon Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at the church immediately following the memorial service. A true ?Southern Lady?, Marie will be remembered for her love of family, her love of First United Methodist Church, her love of music and her love for her beloved Alpha Gams. Marie was born in Charlotte, NC on May 3, 1913 to John Louis Wilkinson and Louise Bradley Wilkinson, who preceded her in death. She graduated from Central High School in Charlotte, NC and Queens College in Charlotte, where she was a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority. Even after her graduation in 1935 she remained the treasurer and advisor for the Queen?s Alpha Gamma Delta chapter until it closed in the late 1970?s. She received three honor awards from the sorority?s International Headquarters for continued and faithful service above the call of duty. She remained a faithful member of the Charlotte Alpha Gamma Delta Alumnae Chapter until recently. While a student at Queens, Marie majored in music and was an accomplished organist. She also played bass in the North Carolina Symphony for several years. There she met the man she would marry, Raymond Brietz. It was his offer to carry her ?great big bass fiddle? that sparked their romance. She was adored by Raymond from the moment he met her until his death in 2005. They were married two days after Christmas in 1938 and moved to Greensboro for several years. There Marie and Raymond started their family. They returned to Charlotte shortly after the birth of their first son and went back to the church that Marie had grown up in, First United Methodist Church. At the time of her death, Marie was one of two remaining charter members of the church. Being church musicians, Raymond and Marie?s musical careers sent them to Pritchard Memorial Baptist Church to lead the choir and play the organ for several years, but Marie?s love for her First Methodist and her need to be with her children during worship services brought them home to First United Methodist once again. Marie loved telling stories about how Charlotte was when she was a little girl. It was hard for people to believe that as a little girl, Marie would take her pony and cart from her Wesley Heights home and head down Trade Street. At Trade and Tryon Streets the policeman on the Square would turn the stop sign so she could turn left and proceed down Tryon Street to go to First Methodist. Marie was active in many areas at the church. She remained active until recently in the United Methodist Women and was the recipient of its lifetime membership. She loved her Sunday School Class and playing the piano for them for many years. For the past eight years Marie has lived at Aldersgate Retirement Center where she had many lifelong friends and made many new friends. Besides her parents Marie was preceded in death by her loving husband of 67 years, Raymond. She was also preceded in death by one brother, John Louis Wilkinson, Jr. and one sister Elizabeth (Lib) Wilkinson McNeeley. She is survived by three sons, John Edwin Brietz and wife Shirley of Altamonte Springs, Florida; Robert (Bob) Brietz and wife Jane of Charlotte; and Raymond Louis(Bud) Brietz of Clemmons. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, Robert (Jay) Brietz and wife Ashley of Charlotte, NC; Susie Brietz Hecht and husband Mark of Mocksville, NC; John Brietz, Jr. and wife Tiffany of Winter Park, Fl; Rex Brietz and wife Tammy of Charlotte, NC ; Scott Brietz and wife Kate of Maitland, Fl; Brad Brietz of Charlotte, NC and Abby Brietz Land and husband Sam of Midway Park, NC. She is survived by twelve great grandchildren, Jake Brietz and Emily Brietz; Reid Hecht and Laurel Hecht, Michael Brietz and Benjamin Brietz; Rex Brietz, Jr. and Max Brietz ; Matthew Brietz and Elise Brietz; Walker Brietz and Zoey Land. Three nieces and two nephews also survive the matriarch of this family. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be sent to First United Methodist Church, 501 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28202. The family would like to thank the nurses and doctors at the Harris Hospice Unit of Presbyterian Hospital for the tender care they gave Marie during her final days. They would also like to thank the staff of Aldersgate (especially the staff of Parker Terrace) for the love and care they gave Marie over the past few years.