I worked with Rich in District 125 for many years, as did many of us here.  Rich had worked at all of the schools.  To work with Rich was indeed an interesting experience.  Since he was usually one of the first to arrive at school in the morning, he kept vigil in the teachers' loungereading the newspaper, drinking his tea or coffee and greeting everyone as they arrived.  Rich felt it was his job to inform usengage us----educate us.  I don't know if that was where Fruhwirth University came in but he was always cutting out interesting articles from the paper, putting riddles, puzzles or interesting quotes on the table --- to keep our brains active.  In reality, many of us took real courses from Richall sorts of Outdoor Ed---Project Wild, Project Wet, etc.

Rich was no shrinking violet.  He let us know what he thought.  He was free with his opinions and commentaries.  It was here that we learned of his religion---Fruhwirthisma rowboat on a lake at sunrise. That's all he needed.

As was the case with most men in elementary education, Rich was surrounded by women.  His way of dealing with this was so-----Rich.  He'd call us the hens, dingbats or you women.  It was during this time we started referring to Rich's wife Maureen as Saint Maureen.  There was always banter among us, gentle teasing and lively arguments.  Shut up, Rich became a frequent ---yet endearing term.  Rich gave as good as he got.  It was our waybut confusing for newcomers to the district.   When our new social worker started---after observing us for a while---she wanted to know why we were all so mean to Rich!  I don't think it took her too long to figure it out.  

Rich was always active. (If he were a kid in school today he'd probably be on Ritalin.)  He was always thinking of something fun for us to do.  He said if we gave him $5 each, he'd give us lunch for a week.  He did.  It was good!  March Madnesshe always had a pool going and on and on it went. 

 His Field Days, or in Rich's day, --- Track Meets were legendary.  Everyone got their assignments, usually the same ones we had for years.  I helped Rich on the high jump.  I got to sweep the sand off the concrete.  It was there I watched Rich in action with the kids.  If they made a mistake, he helped themencouraged themcoached them.  Because that's what he did.

Rich was like no one else.  He made things interesting.  He made things fun.  We could take all he gave because we knewalways knewthat underneath it all was a good, kind, decent human being who loved his family above all else and worked hard for them.  He cared deeply for his many friends and always put in that extra effort for his students.  

Rich was a life force on this Earth, which makes all of this so hard.  As strong as he was on Earth, I believe some of that strength has to have transferred to the other side and I think, now his spirit is soaring and he's keeping a watchful eye on us all.

I was so sorry to hear of Mr. Fruhwirth's passing. He taught me and the whole Sullivan clan at Lawn Manor, where he was so loved and valued. We had so much respect and affection for him. I remember a few things from gym class like our annual gym shows, but mostly I remember a man of integrity who was dedicated to his students. Rest in peace, Mr. Fruhwirth. Prayers to the Fruhwirth family.

Our deepest sympathy to the Fruhwirth Family from the Moody Family.

Rich,
I remember when you showed me  Maureen's engagement ring.  What a smile you had on your face.
Thanks for keeping me and many of us STM people in line.  You were always there to defend,care and correct us.  I can honestly say, I deserved every one of your "Whistles." You will always be in our minds and forever in our hearts.  Rest in Peace,  Thanks Rich!!!

Our sympathies and prayers for Rich, Mary and all the Fruwirth's.

Herb's Tribute to Richard

A classic novel starts with these opening lines  It was the best of times it was the worst of times.  Unfortunately, this is our worst of times as a brother, husband, father, uncle, grandfather and friend departs from our lives.

However, you have to let people go.  Everyone who's in your life is meant to be in your journey, but not all of them are meant to stay till the end.

So like an excellent theater performance we close the curtain on Dick's life.  Ashes to ashes, dust to dust  you will be remembered forever in our hearts.

Dear Coach,
Just about a year ago my father passed away at 85 years of age.  Most of his long life he lived in a healthy body. When he was raising his six children with his wife, he had to work the evening shift to get the differential pay.  I got to enjoy him on weekends.
For many weeknights back then, Rich, you filled a role as a coach, teacher, mentor and motivator.  That field house at Dawes Park, my backyard, was probably a tiny box.  But for me, it was an opening to the worlds of gymnastics, tumbling, flicker ball, dodgeball, and of course my favorite, wrestling.  When we moved to 85th and Whipple, and Ashburn/Hayes Park was now my front yard, there you were helping my skills, self-confidence, respect, and fear of the whistle leather shoe string!
When I was underweight in my first city-wide novice park district competition at Mckinley Park, I was devastated.  The minimum was 78.  I came in at 76 lbs with long underwear and army boots.  But you cheered me up.  The next year, I put on weight and had another year of your excellent coaching.  I weighed in at the 90lb class in the city wide open tourney.  One by one I won matches until I won the gold.  What a feeling, and made possible because of you.
It is fun to tell the story of your bribe to Jack McDonough and me to get free basketball/gym time at Ashburn/Hayes if we would go represent the park in a marble tournament.  We took you up on it and came home with a gold medal depicting boys kneeling and shooting marbles.  
I won many trophies in high school for wrestling, and a Notre Dame intramural tournament my freshman year.  Again, because of the discipline you instilled.
It has been my sincere desire to express my gratitude to you for a long time, and I am delighted to have  a chance to fulfill it.  
I wondered from time to time if you ever wondered about the effect you had on any of those hundreds or thousands of young people connecting part of their lives to the park district programs.
I owe  a great deal of my ability to persist in adversity to your years of coaching me.

Thank you,
A grateful student

And I think the rest of us became better individuals having known Rich.   No one will ever forget Rich. 
While the benefit raised money for Lynn's care at Misericordia, another thing I hope we accomplished was showing Maureen, Mark and Paul how much Rich meant to us.  I don't know many people that can have over 600 people show up to help their cause.  I think it was Paul who commented All these people are here for dad?  The answer was yes.  If a man's wealth is judged by the number of friends he had or by the positive impact he had on other people's lives, then Rich would be the richest man on the South Side.  Another man died a couple of days ago who was referred to as The Greatest.  In our neighborhood Rich was The Greatest.  
While the paper published Misericordia for donations, there are envelopes available for those who would like to donate to the Friends of the Fruhwirths charity.  While the benefit is over, our team is still in place to help however we can.
Rich's love for Lynn was evident in all that he did.  There will be a big void at Misericordia with Rich's passing.  He was always helping out there.  Maureen, Mark and Paul don't think you have to fill those shoes alone.  Whether it be Family Days, Candy Days or around Christmas time we are here to help out.  Our little family that came to be because of the benefit are here to help along with 600 more who would pitch in for Rich.
Maureen, please reach out to us whenever you need help and we will make it happen.  We love you and are here to help.  Thank You.
I want to thank Maureen, Mark, Paul, Jen and Adam for allowing me to speak today.  
On behalf of the Tommy More crowd I want to express our condolences for the loss of a truly great man.  Ashburn Park was renamed for Father Francis Hayes but from 1964  1977 Rich ran the place.  In that time, he impacted thousands of kids and I am one of them.  It didn't matter if a kid was athletic or not there was something for everyone at the park and Rich made sure everyone felt welcome.  People talk about bullying in school these days, Rich never would have allowed that at the park.   I don't know of anyone else who had that much of a direct impact on so many people.
My first remembrance of Rich was in 1968.  I was in after school gym class as a 2nd grader.  The big event for the year was the gym show.  Just prior to the show I broke my arm and was very upset that I could no longer be in the show because of my cast.  My parents got in touch with Rich and he said it would be fine.   He made sure I was only in the events that were safe and wouldn't hurt my arm.  It would have been easy for him to say I cannot attend because I needed extra attention but he found a way for me to be there and to fit in.  A small thing he did almost 50 years ago still has an impact on me today.
Rich ran everything at the park.  There were gym classes and day camps for the younger kids.  As we got older we played basketball, softball and volleyball.  I don't know of anywhere that field hockey was more intense than the little gym at 83rd and Sacramento.   It seemed like bodies were flying everywhere but Rich always kept control of the games.   After Rich left the park the winner in floor hockey received the Fruhwirth Cup.  Somehow Rich managed to run all of these leagues and still watch over the whole park.  He seemed to know absolutely everything that was going on up there.
Rich was strict and demanded respect but he respected you also in return.  He was fair and honest about everything.  He was exactly what the park needed, your older brother who was watching over you.  Rich taught respect and responsibility, and that our actions have consequences.   Great lessons to learn at a young age and better yet, we didn't even know we were learning these lessons at the time.  We knew the rules and the consequences.  Rich's whistle and leather shoelace were legendary.  I think it sold at the auction for about $500.  My wife asked me a few years ago why we were helping a guy who was so strict with us?  Because it is Rich was my response.  Not being from Tommy More she didn't understand but I think you really had to have experienced those times at Hayes Park to fully know what I mean.  Unfortunately, kids today will never experience a man like Rich.  
I can't believe we are here today because of the great physical condition we all remember about Rich.  The rest of us aged over the years but Rich always looked the same.   He was the one guy you could not see for 20 + plus years but still pick out at the AOK golf outing.   One of Rich's rules at the park was you walked your bike across the field.   Look out if you were riding across.  Who other than Rich could catch a kid riding a bike across the fields when the cyclist has a 200-yard head start?  Only Rich!  
It was a dark day in Tommy More when we heard that Rich was leaving.   No one was happy when Rich's time at the park came to an end.
Fast forward to 2013 and Liz Shalloo contacted me to see if I had any thoughts on how we could help Rich's family because of changes at Misericordia.  Families at Misericordia were expected to raise more funds due to government cutbacks.  Before we hung up the plans were in place for the Friends of the Fruhwirth benefit.  Volunteering for the event to help the residents at Misericordia was an honor.  We would do anything to help Rich and his family.  
What fun it was planning the benefit and reconnecting with so many old friends.  So many people were willing to help out.  We had plenty of volunteers and donations started flowing in.  Just when I thought I had everything set for the benefit a package arrived on my front door the day before the benefit.  I thought this will probably just get paid forward for another function because I didn't want to have to change anything.  Needless to say that answer changed when I found an autographed Michael Jordan basketball in the box.  In it was a note thanking Rich for his impact on the individual's life.  It was signed Anonymous.  It showed the impact that Rich had on others.  
Out of the benefit our own dysfunctional family was established. The Fruhwirths welcomed me, Scotty, Liz, Maureen and Kristin into their family.  Maureen Clarke was part of our family.  I'm not sure how much the Clarke family donated to the cause but I guess it was enough to win the naming rights in the Name Rich's Grandchild contest.  Mark and Jen named their son Clark.
The benefit allowed me to spend some time alone with Rich and reminisce about the 70's.  He shared some very interesting stories with me that I never heard before.  Unfortunately, this isn't the forum for those stories.  Let's just say Rich helped some kids out of some difficult situations during a very different era.  Some of us wouldn't be here today if not for Rich's help

Unconditional Love

They say that all babies born are a bundle of joy, a bundle of hope, promise, and love.  But when a child with special needs is born to a family, that family begins a journey like no other.  The excitement, joy, and anticipation of the coming baby instantaneously turns into shock, doubt, fear, anguish, and even sorrow, sorrow for your baby, and yes, even sorrow for yourself.  You ask, Why, why me, why was I chosen to have this child a child with disabilities, with imperfections like no other? You ask that question and, for a period of time, you live in a state of darkness, but in time, that darkness fades, and gives way to light, and you come out of it.  And you come out of it, because you don't walk that special journey alone.

Richard and Maureen walked that journey together.  They walked it and lived it, day in and day out with Paul and Mark.  
While Lynn lived at home, they loved Lynn for who she was graced to be, and cherished her limited, yet amazing accomplishments.  People, on the outside, marveled at the love and care the Fruhwirth's displayed, and time and time again, one would say, God only gives you what you can handle, or, God only gives special children to special families.  Sometimes that statement brought them question and sometimes sheer pride, and sometimes, wonder.

Question because even with all the therapy, the special bed, and meals and equipment, and AERO Center, the special school, the question still remained,  What will happen to Lynn when she gets older?  How will we care for her, how can she be accepted and given all the opportunities possible being the person only she is?  The feeling of pride.  Yes, she needs constant care, but there is one and only one like her, one we love so much, but we want nothing short of the best for her.  And wonder.  How and who can help us through this?

Through it all, there was a constant and that constant was God, God and His many gifts, for Corinthians says, And now these three remain:  faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love. 

And so it was that God opened the doors of Misericordia to Lynn, a land of these gifts, a place filled with faith, hope, and love for God's most vulnerable, and the Misericordia journey began.

Richard loved his family, each of them, and showed Maureen and his sons love in his own way, but Lynne, that love was tender and unconditional.  His display of affection was so pronounced. Their bond was tight and Rich cared for her like no other. He would scoop her up out of her chair and slip her into a swing or her car seat, gently place her on the floor, and pick her up again to lay her sweet head on his shoulder, for Lynn was truly daddy's little girl.  He fed Lynn her favorite foods, took her for walks so she could feel the sunshine and wind upon her face, he blew her nose, took her to doctor appointments, and advocated for her again and again.  There was nothing Richard wouldn't do for his baby girl.  

Aside from direct care to Lynn, Richard, extended his immeasurable love to all of the residents and families at Misericordia Home. He worked weekly with the males in the village at a home on Misericordia's campus, whom he would clip DD coupons for, so that he could treat the guys and staff to donuts.  Every year Rich cut hundreds of pieces of chicken for the Family Fest, collected garbage at the fest, co-chaired the Car Raffle Committee, spent hours upon hours seeking donations from businesses for raffles, co-hosted a private benefit, worked in the Greenhouse Inn, and worked the Christmas brunches. But most recently, this past April, exemplifying the epitome of his true character and unconditional love, Rich worked his last Candy Days.  Richard being Richard, saw to it that no one or anything was going to stop him, not pneumonia or the fact that his heart was only working at 30 some odd percent.  Rich came out and walked up and down the Oak Lawn Metra train station with apron on, jellybeans and can in hand, collecting for his Lynn and all the kids at Misericordia.  The next morning he was back at it, collecting again, in front of Dunkin Donuts in the pouring rain.  And to add to that, his final act of HEART, with capital H-E-A-R-T, came in the ER last week when he told Maureen that he feared he would not be able to unload the trucks this year for Misericordia's Dinner Dance.  

Why are some chosen to parent a special needs child?  Perhaps the answer, in part, is because the journey teaches us that our precious little Lynn and all those like her, are truly our teachers, and we learn more about life and living from them than anyone else could teach.  Through them we learn faith, hope, and love, and the greatest is LOVE.

Thank you Richard for living, loving unconditionally, and leading by example.

In the 4th grade Paul and I were assigned to do a diorama on Egypt.  I just recently moved and this was my first year at Queen of Martyrs.  We decided to sculpt a sphinx out of clay as the center piece for the diorama and it was a lot of work.  This led me to spending quite a bit of time at the Fruhwirth house.  Finally after weeks of working on this sphinx and diorama it was finally done and Paul was writing out the final version of the report as his penmanship was and still is far superior to mine.  Paul asked me to go to the bookshelf in the living room and get the Webster's dictionary.  I assumed he wanted to double check the spelling of something so I went over and got it.  Then he asked me to look up the word, Bald.  I thought this to be a kind of odd request but I guessed Sphinx's were bald so I obliged.  I turned to word bald' and next to it was a picture of his dad.  Now I was really confused.  I said, Your dad is the Webster's dictionary model for the word bald?  And Paul said, You idiot.  No!  My brother glued that picture in the dictionary.  And yes, I was and still am and idiot but it's a testament to Mark's artist ability and commitment to a joke about his dad, I swear to this day that picture looked like it was part of the dictionary.
And that was the beginning of spending a vast majority of my time from the late 80s to the early 2000s at the Fruhwirth household.  I was the Fruhwirth's very own Kimmy Gibbler (voted TV.com's #4 most annoying sitcom neighbor).  If I wasn't sleeping or at school there was a fair chance I was at the Fruhwirth's.    
So today I was thinking about Mr. Fruhwirth's picture next to the word bald.  I was thinking where I would move Mr. Fruhwirth's picture in the dictionary today.  What single dictionary word or phrase best describes him?  
Generous?  
This was a man that picked me up and drove me to high school every single day.  Even when Paul was sick he would still come and get me.  I think even when I was sick he still swung by my house.  Mr. Fruhwith did love a good routine.  In 4 years he was never late and he never missed a single day.
As a kid that showed up to that house without a penny in my pocket he treated me to countless Top Notch burgers, dinners, movies, plays, snacks, sodas.  But even on a teachers salary he was far more generous than treating me.  Mr. Fruhwirth let me take part in his family and the experiences that came with that.   From when we went to pick up the world's greatest dog Logan, who was just a puppy at the time.  I mean we all know that classic Norman Rockwell painting of father and son and the son's weird awkward friend picking out a puppy, right?  My dad didn't allow dogs so Logan became the closet thing I would have to a dog.  This was a man that went out to the woods with an ax and a saw and chopped down his own Christmas tree while Paul and I sat in the heated car.  My dad got our tree every year from Handy Andy.  He took my up to Wild Cat lodge with Paul where I caught my first musky and Mr. Fruhwirth unhooked it for me.   And this isn't to besmirch my dad, it just that the Fruhwirth's had different experiences and Mr. Fruhwirth let me in to experience those things as well.  Basically I was able to have not one but two amazing childhoods.  That, friends, is true generosity:  When you take in a stranger and let him be a part of your family in every way possible.   

There is a saying, Do what I say not as I do.  This basically means doing the right thing is hard, so I'm not going to actually do it, but I'll tell you what to do instead.  Mr. Fruhwirth was opposite of that.  He led by example.  You have to be incredibly tough to actually do the right thing.  
So should I move Mr. Fruhwirth's picture to the word tough'?  This was a man that had heart surgery and needed to be walking around the hospital to his doctors chagrin practically that the next day.  This was a man that understood that life was never easy.  Of course life is hard, it's supposed to be hard!  But does that mean you get to give up or take the easy way out?  Baloney!  Rub some dirt on it and get up!  No matter what happens you still get to dictate how you respond.  Mr. Fruhwirth was never a victim! He was too tough for that.  He had things to do and people that truly needed him.  This was a man whose biggest concern with his heart issues was that it would prevent him from volunteering at Misericordia and seeing his daughter Lynn.  That, friends, is true toughness:  When you are in excoriating pain but your biggest concern is letting down your daughter.
About a month ago I was talking to Paul and he just got back from lunch with his dad.  I use lunch loosely as I believe it was 10:30am.  And I think Mr Fruhwirth got there at 9:30am.  Anyway Paul told me his dad said, You know Paul, you're a lot more like me than you realize.  And Paul said I know, but I finally realized this is something I'm proud of.  And I told Paul, you idiot!  I've been telling you that for 20 years.  Paul your dad is the definition of the word good guy'.  
So there you have it.  I would move the picture of Mr. Fruhwirth to Good Guy in Webster's dictionary.  A simple understated phrase but means a whole lot.  A Good Guy is the hero in the story; a Good Guy never lets you down.  A good guy is strong and tough.  A good guy gives you the shirt off his back and says, I wish I could give you more.  
I can see Mr. Fruhwirth standing at the Pearly Gates.  St. Peter would say something like, Well you weren't particularly religious and you didn't go to church much, but you did more good on earth than 99% of the people that do.  You certainly made an impression on that weird Bob kid.   I guess I have to let you in.    I can picture Mr. Fruhwirth saying, I think I'll sit out here for a while, there are people I still need to keep an eye out on.
I love you Mr. Fruhwirth.  I know you'll save us all a nice table.

You tend not to think about someone in broad, general terms.  Our thoughts are usually more focused on the present unless there is some event or a catalyst that triggers that more in depth thinking.  For example, someone's passing.    After learning of Dick's death, I thought about what we had lost.  I realized what I had always known but had not thought about--   Dick was a great guy.  A very special guy.

We all know he was easy going, had a quick laugh.  You would be hard put to find someone that had a bad thing to say about Dick.  You might be walking down the street with Dick, and someone would come up to him and say hello.  Dick would later say  Oh, that was a guy from the park or that was one of my students.  There were a lot of people that loved to stop and say hello to him.

A group of us have been getting together for almost-monthly poker games (not well organized; eight to ten times per year).  I'm not completely sure but I think the poker games go back over 55 years (around the end of high school, beginning of college).  However, if you were to add up all the winnings and losses of each player over the years, I suspect no one won or lost more that a couple of hundred dollars.  There are two reasons for this.  First, we were all equally poor poker players, and second, the poker games weren't, first and foremost, poker games.  Rather they were reasons to get together socially.  We would talk about friends and family, generally catching up.  Nobody paid a lot of attention to the game.  It was just a good reason to get together.  Dick knew this. In fact, the last time I saw Dick was at our last poker game, which he hosted-- two weeks ago.

For a while we had an investment partnership that would meet immediately before the poker games.  Dick was a founding member.  This was not Wall Street--Each guy would invest $25 per month in the fund.  We would then try to find suitable investments for our money.  The name of the investment partnership was SDLStock Dividends and Land. With respect to the land part of the investments, I am sure we were not on Donald Trump's radar.  Or anybody else's radar.  We were going to buy land in Minnesota and build a cabin.  Our strategy was to combine the recreational and investment aspects of the land.  We were going to use the cabin for fishing and then sell it.  I don't know how we were going to make any money.  I don't think anyone in the group could drive a straight nail.  Luckily, the Minnesota idea didn't get very far.  If I remember correctly, Dick was an early supporter of the Minnesota cabin, but quickly realized it wasn't going to fly.  Our stock investments didn't do very well either.  We usually made enough to have an end-of-year dinner, and that was it.  After a few years, we dropped the investment club idea and went directly to the poker game.

Dick did not have a lot of leisure time.  At times he had three jobs.  His principal job was as a teacher.  From the way he would talk about it, he really enjoyed teaching, although it seems the job got tougher over the years.  I think this was the environment.  He also had the college course that he taught during the year.  And he had the maintenance job.  And the Park.

Where the character of Dick really came through was with respect to his daughter Lynn.  As many of you know, she was ill from birth and never really developed and, as a result, required constant care.  Maureen and Dick gave her more love and care than seemed possible.  They have my complete respect and admiration.

As I said in the beginning, Dick was a very special guy.  I think I will be hard pressed to find a better and more solid friend.  I'm sure you consider yourselves lucky, as I do, to have known him.

Heartfelt prayers to the family of Rich Fruhwirth

Rich will be remembered by everyone who was lucky enough to be taught and mentored in his career.  The Wrightwood community will always appreciate his no nonsense approach to handling the kids at Hayes Park always with fairness.  What a great example to follow.

Amazing uncle, mentor, and friend. Rich is an inspiration to all who had the privilege of knowing him. His impact on young lives and those with special needs will be remembered forever. Thank you for being such a special part of my life. I will miss you more than words can say. Love, Jacki

I was lucky enough to have know rich my whole life.  His life inspires me to be a better person.  Seeing the love and kindness that he shared with so many makes me want to help his legacy to live on by paying it forward in his memory......hugs always to Maureen, Mark, Paul and Lynn❤

In "It's A Wonderful LIfe" , Clarence has a bell, but in life, God gave us Rich and his whistle which he wore around his neck and wasn't afraid to use when any kids got "out of line" at Hayes Park in Wrightwood!   You will be missed by many.   With deepest sympathy, Mrs. Judy Hook

I went to Lawn Manor when Mr. Fruhwirth taught there for all my 8 years.  I'll always remember his gray pants and tee shirts and was in awe when he showed us early on how to do a round off in his high top Converse!!! He made a huge impression on me as a coach, mentor and disciplinarian.  He had a great work ethic and cared about all of us in the best way possible.  He inspired me to always be my best and how to love sports.  He drove our whole volleyball team in his Cutlass to games and coached us to tons of victories.  To this day I sometimes end my counts in "10-2 and halt"!  I only hope my children experience a coach/instructor 1/2 as good as he was someday in their lives.  RIP Mr. Fruhwirth.  Barb Dytrych will think of and say a prayer for you and your family.

I'm so sorry to hear of the passing of Richard Fruhwirth. He was our gym teacher at Lawn Manor back in the 70s. Anyone who had him for a teacher have the greatest memories of him! Just today a song came on the radio - it was one he liked to play at our gym shows. It transported me back in time when we were having fun and learning new things from our very favorite teacher - Mr. Fruhwirth. May he rest in eternal peace and may his family be comforted by the warmth of his memory and know he touched the lives of so many in such a positive way.

Thank you for how you treated my sister Dawn & taking the time to reach me as an out of control kid but never giving up on me. My thoughts and prayers to the family for their loss. May God ease their sorrows.

Rich kept a lot of people in line! Talk about a dedicated worker. I know my Mother;Mrs. Tunney, thought the world of him. He added so much to our lives. God Bless

Mr. Fruhwirth impacted so many lives while he was a teacher at Hamlin. I remember him cleaning Meadow Lane after his 'shift' at Hamlin was over. I learned the game of football from him and how to run plays. Also, after I cursed outside playing line soccer, after much begging, he didn't give me the detention, which would have been unforgivable in my house. He could command a class (gym) like no other, and was loved and will be missed by so many.

Remembering a dear friend. He will always be missed and never forgotten

So few can say they raised an entire neighborhood, Rich can. You are sorely missed.

I had the unique experience of having lived across the alley from Dawes park (Little Flower parish)where I first met Rich, then across the street from Hayes Park (Tommy Moore parish)and thereby had Rich as a coach, mentor, camp guide, etc. for many wonderful years. A special person, with wide and lasting influence, as evidenced by the 2014 fund raiser. Miss you Rich.

I knew Mr. Fruhwirth a long time ago, via Mark, and I can't express enough how much this world just lost a good one. My prayers go out to the Fruhwirths.

I've never met anyone who impacted more people in such a positive way.  You will be sorely missed Rich but never forgotten.

Rich was an mentor to me and many that came through the park and also the school he taught at. He will be always be in our hearts and memories.

OBITUARY

Richard W Fruhwirth

November 30, 1942 – June 1, 2016

Chapel Hill Gardens South Funeral Home & Cemetery

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