James "Larry" Frey

Larry Frey, 67, of Springfield, Missouri, died in his home on April 15, 2013. Larry was born on September 24, 1945 in Houston, Texas to Roy and Marguerite Frey. Larry enjoyed life with his wife of 40 years, Sue, son Aaron and his wife Sheila, and son Jason and his wife Elizabeth and partner Melissa, brothers John, Mike, Bob and Joe, and their wives Diane, Roxane, Karen and Carol. He had a special love for his nieces, nephews and their children.

A list of relatives doesn’t do justice to how important family was to Larry. Many of his favorite experiences involved his family and dear friends in one way or another, whether celebrating weddings and births, hosting parties and dinners, or simply relaxing and visiting over stories and a drink or two.

As we all know, Larry had his share of health problems over the years. One of his many generous choices was that after his death, his body would be studied more closely so that more could be learned about his illnesses, in the hopes that others could benefit. In keeping with these wishes, Larry's body has been donated to the University of Missouri - Columbia Medical Center for scientific research.

Larry had a well-rounded education, beginning with Catholic grade school, continuing through a colorful stint in seminary (ending with the mutual decision to part ways), a Bachelor’s degree at Southwest Missouri State University and winding up with a very educational period of life’s experience in New Orleans. The French Quarter may never be the same.

Larry's circuitous career path included a short stint as a second grade schoolteacher, where casualties included one small goldfish and minor emotional trauma to at least a few children. Some of his other professional ventures included:

Coyote hunter.

Armed tax collection deterrence officer.

Real estate mogul.

Chicken rancher

Hog farmer (6 survived to adulthood)

Dog breeder

Bartender.

Bartending consultant (to his wife, long enough to get her the gig).

Tax preparer.

Construction assistant.

Literacy teacher.

Larry thoroughly enjoyed his long-standing involvement with Sacred Heart, where he held many positions over the years. These included service to the finance committee, the Parish Council, the fundraising committee and as a liturgical minister. His family at Sacred Heart has been an integral part of his life. Larry's spiritual ministry extended to De Sales Catholic Book Store, which he and Sue owned and operated for the past seven years.

Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Larry raised some of the most delicious tomatoes and other vegetables in town. Thanks to his generous nature, he shared this bounty by cooking for his family and friends regularly. Larry excelled at cooking everything from Cajun gumbo to Thanksgiving dinner. One of his other specialties was garage barbeque, which involved dragging the grill through the snow into the garage when Larry had decided that he was going to barbeque today no matter what.

On their wedding day, Sue's aunt described Larry as being “a perfect patsy”. We take that to mean that he was an enthusiastic subject of stories, even when they were told at his expense. So, let's take the opportunity to do just that. Share some of your favorite stories about Larry on this page. To do that, just click on Memories, and then Upload a Story.

Tell these stories with love, of course, but please don’t feel like you have to censor yourself. Mirth and reverence make for a beautiful combination, and we have a feeling that Larry would get a kick out of anything you have to share about his life.

Memorial contributions can be made to Larry’s favorite local charity, The Kitchen 1630 N. Jefferson Springfield, MO 65803, either by calling (417) 837-1500 or online at www.thekitcheninc.org.

A memorial mass will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Saturday April 27th at 2:00 pm, followed by visitation at Sacred Heart.
Memorial contributions can be made to The Kitchen, Inc. at (417) 837-1500.

Permanent online condolences, stories and photos may be shared at www.hhlohmeyer.com.