Eulogy

It's pretty hard to write about Dad and to keep it short. For over 50 years he has been a steady part of our lives, a rock solid provider, coach, and guide,

This is a man who would see things in black and white, always ready to give his opinion and not known to change his mind. There would be no grey area, no doubt about what is expected.
His top priorities didn't change- take care of Mom, make sure his kids learned to to the right thing.
Taking care of Mom wasn't too tough, she doesn't ask for a lot. Teaching his kids to do the right thing was a little tougher- 5 stubborn Freyers who asked for a lot of time, a lot of stuff.
Somehow there was always enough time. I don't remember being cut off short in a conversation or being disappointed because he was not where he was needed.

His question for us was not "did you win?" but "did you do your best?" He expected of himself and expected from us 100% effort if we were to try anything. Sometimes it was not easy for us to appreciate the 100% concept, "good enough" was not an option.

He knew not to give too much. We learned to fend for ourselves and not to count on someone else to help us.
Mom and Dad made great sacrifices for us- there was never a complaint about what they didn't have, they just made the most of what was dealt and enjoyed it.

If you want to appreciate someone, just try to fill their shoes. Dad worked as an electrician for 20 years, then 4 of his sons and a grandson followed in the trade. Because Dad was well respected, the men who knew him were there to help us learn the electrical trade. These union brothers took the time and attention to teach us the right way to do a job.

In 2004 Dad retired from the tool business and I stepped in. Most of that first year, I was the traveling salesman, calling on accounts that Dad had set up years before. He had made such a lasting impression on his customers, that half of my job was done just by showing up.
Those are some big shoes to fill.

We have been blessed by a great role model, a strong example of how to live.
It's been difficult to watch him the past few years. We remember him as strong, fearless, and full of stories. Emphysema robbed his strength, a stroke limited his storytelling, but he never showed any fear. Even in his last days, when it took everthing he had to whisper a few words, he wanted to know how everyone else was doing. He always seemed to take care of others first, but wouldn't want you to know about it.
We would do well to follow his example.