Richard "Dick" Felix Freuler

Richard ("Dick") Felix Freuler, age 87 of Hamilton, Ohio, passed away on November 1, 2013 at Worthington Christian Village in Columbus, Ohio. He was born in Alliance, Ohio on March 13, 1926 to the late Felix A. and Helen M. (Raz) Freuler. He received his B.A. in Journalism in 1948 from The Ohio State University, where he was a member of the school newspaper staff and additionally ran cross country and track. He was also a member of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. While at college, he met his future wife, the late Jeane Elizabeth (Roberts) Freuler while standing in line for student football tickets. In 1946 at OSU, they won first place in the campus Jitter Bug contest. The happy couple married in Sandusky, Ohio on August 20, 1949. Dick was multi-talented and had a wide range of interests and activities. In his lifetime he worked at a dairy plant, was a sports writer, and served as Chief Health Sanitarian for both the Alliance City and Hamilton City Health Departments. After his retirement from public health, he was a substitute teacher in the Hamilton City Schools. He was a past member of both the Alliance and Hamilton Jaycees; a life member of the OSU Alumni Association, the Ohio State Environmental Health Association, Greater Hamilton Civic Theater, and the Fort Hamilton Philatelic Society. He was a past president of the Alliance Jaycees, the Butler County Umpires Association, the Butler County Football Association, Hamilton City Advisory Board of Health; a past Board Chairman of Greater Hamilton Civic Theater; and was a Commissioned Officer, Inactive Reserves of the US Public Health Service. He officiated football and umpired baseball and softball for 35 years, and was selected to umpire in the 1964 American Softball Association's World Championship tournament. He coached both Little League and Babe Ruth baseball, was an avid collector of both US and Swiss stamps (he held dual citizenship), and he enjoyed golf and bowling - rolling a perfect 300 game while on the Front Street Presbyterian Church bowling team. He was very active in Greater Hamilton Civic Theater, performing the starring role in “The Seven Year Itch" and appearing on stage in numerous other productions over the years. He also participated behind the scenes for many additional productions, and he directed “The Moon is Blue”. Dick is survived by his older sister, Marie “Matey” Coppock of Santa Clara, California; four children, Rick Freuler and his wife Justine of Worthington, Linda Freuler and her husband Stephen Walker of Hamilton, Ted Freuler and his wife Debbie of Columbus, and Robert Freuler and his wife Sandra of Woodlawn; twelve grandchildren, Christy Bowen and her husband T.J., Mandy Campbell and her husband Andy, Adam Koehler and his fiancée Inessa Wagner, Liesl Koehler and her boyfriend Steve McClellan, Noah Koehler, Bryan Freuler and his wife Karen Novack, Allen Sellars and his wife Amber, Sara “Becky” Jennings and her husband Bradley, Angela Miles and her husband Isaac, Matt Whitacre and his wife Mandi, Lorrie Whitacre and her boyfriend Jason Callender, and Sheri Whitacre and her fiancé Will Miller; sixteen great grandchildren (newest arriving in February 2014) and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Jeane Freuler; his parents, Felix and Helen Freuler; his parents-in-law, George and Cora Roberts; sister-in-law Mary Ann (Roberts) Weiser; brother-in-law Richard Coppock, and granddaughter Kaitlyn Walker. The family would like to send a special thanks to the staffs of Worthington Christian Village and Gentiva Hospice for all their care and support. Visitation will be Friday, November 8, 2013 at Webb Noonan Kidd Funeral Home on Ross Ave in Hamilton beginning at 11am. The funeral service will start immediately following at 1pm; officiated by Dr. Bob Bowers, the associate pastor of Bethel Presbyterian Church located in Columbus, OH. The family suggest, that in lieu of flowers, contributions in Dick's memory be made to "But for Ohio State", The Ohio State University Foundation, 1480 West Lane Ave, Columbus, OH 43221; or Worthington Christian Village, 165 Highbluffs Blvd, Columbus, OH 43235; or Gentiva Hospice Foundation, 7801 Mesquite Bend Dr, Suite 105, Irving, TX 75063; or to any favorite charitable group in need.