Michael R. "Mike" Pretzer

March 2, 1939 - February 12, 2017

Mike Pretzer was a man who actively pursued his desires and dreams. He enjoyed many friendships, and many of his co-workers and associates became lifelong, close friends. He is described by them as compassionate, loyal, reliable and trustworthy. His childhood was filled with the adventure of hunting and fishing with his grandfather Alex Pretzer. Living close to the beach, he loved fishing, body surfing and skim boarding. As an adult, his love of the ocean continued through boating, first power then taking to the sail. He enjoyed being a part of organizations that had discipline and a strong sense of camaraderie. This included Brown’s Academy and Scouting as a youth, and blossomed into enlisting into the US Coast Guard. After completing his service in the Coast Guard, he said “I want to be a cop.” That he accomplished with an impressive career path in public service that took him from the City of Bell PD and then on to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department as a Deputy. His desire to relocate to Northern California led him to joining the Solano County Sheriff's Department. He then went on to work in the Solano County District Attorney's Office, where he retired as an Investigator. Throughout his career, he maintained his ties to the Coast Guard by serving in the Coast Guard reserves. He retired with the rank of Senior Chief as a Special Agent in the Coast Guard Investigative Service. He also taught classes on narcotics and surveillance tactics for the Department of Justice. He married Carol Pretzer in 1983 and they made their home together in Benicia. They enjoyed spending time with friends at the Benicia and Vallejo Yacht Clubs. They also liked to travel, sail and spend time with family. Michael is survived by his step mother, Betty Pretzer; sister, Pam Lehman; children: Michael Lee Pretzer, Michele Kanigowski, and Anne Cardwell; grand children: Anthony Kanigowski, Angela Kanigowski, Erica Buxton, Rachel Pretzer, Teddy, Patrick and Atticus Cardwell. He was preceded in death by his father, Roy Pretzer; mother, Marjorie Marshall; and his wife Carol Pretzer. The memorial service will be held 10:00 a.m. Saturday, February 18, 2017 at the Benicia Lutheran Church followed by a celebration of his life at Benicia Yacht Club from 11:00 - 2:00.