A man who dedicated 24 years of his life to protecting and serving Oxford was laid to rest Monday.
Homer G. Lotz, known as Jerry to his friends, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2007. He was 71.
Lotz served on the Oxford Police Department from 1973 through 1997.
‘He was a thorough police officer, very dedicated,? said Oxford Fire Chief Jack LeRoy, who served on the police department from 1971-94, spending his last seven years as chief. ‘He was the kind of guy you could give a job to and he’d take care of it.?
Lotz didn’t seek out personal glory or recognition while on the department. He just wanted to do his work and do it well.
‘He never wanted any rank,? LeRoy said. ‘He wanted to be a patrolman.?
Lotz came to police work later in life. Prior to joining the force, he worked as a mechanic for several Ford dealerships in Detroit. His last job was repairing transmissions at Floyd Rice Ford.
When his afternoon shift at the dealership was over, he’d return to Oxford to do custodial work at the First Baptist Church on Pontiac St., where he also served as a deacon. The church is where he and LeRoy first met.
During the course of their nightly conversations, Lotz told LeRoy how he had always wanted to be a police officer.
LeRoy suggested he sign up for the village department’s reserve officer program, which Lotz did in early 1973.
‘He would get out of work at a little after 11 o’clock at night in Detroit, be back in Oxford before midnight and ride with me (on patrol) until almost 4 a.m. most mornings,? LeRoy recalled.
LeRoy liked having an ‘extra set of eyes and ears? with him because back then Oxford was a ‘very active town? with ‘a lot of bar trouble.?
‘It was nice having someone there to watch your back,? he said.
When the village police department worked out a deal in 1975 to cover the township, Lotz was hired in September along with three other men. They were all sent to the police academy in Marquette. He hit the road as a full-time officer on Oct. 28, 1975.
Despite his new found career in law enforcement, Lotz never stopped being an auto mechanic at heart.
‘For over 20 years, there wasn’t a police car running in this community that he didn’t have a hand in repairing or maintaining,? LeRoy said. ‘He was the maintenance manager for all the cars.?
Oxford resident Jim Hughes said Lotz had a real passion for cars, especially classics and street rods. He and Lotz were fellow members of the Model A Club.
So great was Lotz? love of working on cars he would often fix others people’s vehicles for free or purchase parts for them with his own money, never seeking reimbursement.
‘That’s just the kind of guy he was,? Hughes said. ‘He was probably one of the most honest guys I’ve ever known.?
Personality wise some would say Lotz was gruff on the outside, but inside, LeRoy said, ‘He had a heart of gold.?
Hughes said Lotz could be ‘kind of crusty? at times, but ‘anything you’d want, he’d bend over backwards for you.?
LeRoy thought of Lotz as his ‘big brother.?
‘He’s going to be sadly missed by a bunch of us,? the chief said. ‘There’s a lot of people here that really liked Jerry.?
Lotz is survived by his beloved wife of more 51 years, Bernice. He’s also survived by his children Ruth (John) Prugh of Cedarville, OH, Roy (Janice) Lotz of Attica, Roxane (Marc) Friedrich of Rochester Hills. Lotz was the proud grandfather of Julie and Angela Prugh, Ryan (Sabrina) Lotz, Tami (Michael) Stickler, Justin Lotz, Kyle Weddle and Grant Friedrich. He was also the loving great-grandfather of Ashley & Ryan Lotz Jr., Hannah, Grace, Olivia & Michael Stickler Jr.
A funeral service was held Feb. 12 at First Baptist Church of Oxford. Interment was at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. Arrangements were handled by Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors Bossardet Chapel. Memorials to First Baptist Church are appreciated.