Edwin Anthony Hotz, 88, of St. Petersburg, Florida, passed away peacefully on June 25, 2026, at Suncoast Hospice following a brief illness.
Edwin was born on May 3, 1938, in Montclair, New Jersey, to Edwin John Hotz and Ruth Gruenthal Hotz. On December 26, 1957, he married the love of his life, Sandra Morgan, at First Presbyterian Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. Together they shared nearly 69 wonderful years of marriage, building a life centered on faith, love, family, and unwavering devotion to one another.
Edwin was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Joyce, and his beloved son-in-law, Gary Montgomery.
He leaves behind to cherish his memory his devoted wife, Sandra; his sons, Edwin R. Hotz and Shawn Hotz; his daughters, Wendy Montgomery and Shelly Frazier; nine cherished grandchildren; and seven beloved great-grandchildren, all of whom brought him immense pride and joy.
Edwin proudly served his country in the United States Army. Following his military service, he attended St. Petersburg College and, in 1972, founded Hotz Realty, where he built a respected career through hard work, integrity, and dedication to his community.
Throughout his life, Edwin believed in giving back. He was an active and proud member of the Shriners, a dedicated supporter of the Mayo Clinic and the Sheriff’s Youth Ranch, and was involved with numerous other charitable organizations. He was especially known for his generous spirit, quietly helping provide food, clothing, and other basic necessities to families facing difficult times.
One of Edwin’s greatest passions was youth baseball. He was immensely proud of the Hotz Realty Baseball Teams in Northside and Southside St. Petersburg. Players fondly remember him for celebrating every home run by handing out his treasured silver dollars—a tradition that brought smiles to countless young athletes and created memories that have lasted a lifetime.
Above all else, Edwin’s greatest accomplishment and deepest joy was his family. He often said that he and Sandy were a team, and together they lovingly raised their children, taking great pride in watching them grow into successful, caring adults. His love, guidance, generosity, and quiet strength will continue to inspire all who knew him.
The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to their many friends and relatives whose love, prayers, and support sustained them during this difficult time. They also offer their deepest appreciation to the compassionate caregivers at Suncoast Hospice for the exceptional care, comfort, and dignity they provided Edwin, surrounding him with kindness and peace until he was welcomed into the loving arms of his Lord and Savior.
Many condolences to the Hotz family from his Wafflehouse family on St. Pete Beach FL. He was a weekly welcome sight at our unit and we looked forward to his visit every week and the family members we met thru him. His wife and kids. He was our inhouse grits checker his sign of approval kept us striving to keep our grits good. Whenever he did not show we would look for his truck across the street to see if he was home or not. The love between his wife and himself was evident in their back and forth banter and serving each other they made our day when they came in. I personally am grateful that we were able to exchange ball caps after a conversion we had about wearing hats from him a Tuskegee Airmen cap and from me a cap from the city of CEBU in the Philippines. He is greatly missed and we are grateful for the time we had.
Wendy,
I am so very sorry about the loss of your father. You were such a good daughter. Despite being far away, you flew down constantly to see to his needs during his last days as our friend Val would say- you were there to walk your dad up to the gates of heaven.
Love you my friend.