William Raney Frei

William (Bill) Raney Frei was born on July 8th, 1932 to Dick and Hazel Frei in Reinbeck, Iowa. HIs upbringing was filled with the joys of small-town life and the adventures of growing up on a farm. He learned from his parents the importance of kindness towards others, dealing with folks in an honest way, maintaining a positive attitude, and respect for others' ways of life. He was a loving sibling to his older sister Pat and his younger sister Clara and always felt grateful for the love and affection his family brought to his life.

In 1954, Bill graduated from Cornell College with a degree in Biology. It is here that he met the love of his life, Shirley. While there were differing reports regarding the success of their first date, it became the beginning of sixty-seven dynamic years of life together. They were a great team, with equal parts bickering, supporting, championing, inspiring, and loving each other throughout their days. When Shirley passed away in 2022, Bill carried on with positivity, but felt the loss of Shirley every day.

Bill enlisted as an Officer in the United States Marine while dating Shirley and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan in the aftermath of the Korean War. When he returned from service, Bill and Shirley got married, settled in Reinbeck, Iowa, and began farming the family farm alongside his father. He would eventually take over all operations of the farm and would work as a seed corn salesman for Pioneer Seed Company.

Bill was a devoted, loving father to his four children and took great joy in raising them alongside Shirley. He was a voice of reason and calm when things were complicated, a supplier of humor when it was desperately needed, and a model of how to be eternally inquisitive about others and the world. Bill and Shirley created a strong sense of community for their children by surrounding them with a friend group like no other. He loved his Reinbeck friends and the greater Reinbeck community and always held them close to his heart.

In their retirement, Bill and Shirly started a new chapter of adventures in Pinehurst, North Carolina. He found new friends to add to his close circle and spent many wonderful days golfing, reading, enjoying visits from his children and grandchildren, and traveling when they could. While Bill appreciated learning new things, which he found easy to do in a new part of the country, he also appreciated keeping up traditions, like going out to breakfast in Pinehurst at the same place every day, as he did for so many years with his friends in Reinbeck at the Corner Cafe. After many happy years in Pinehurst, Bill and Shirley eventually moved to Fargo, North Dakota and upon Shirley's death in 2022, he moved to Olympia, Washington. As was typical of Bill, he handled each of these new moves with an adventurous spirit.

Bill lived his life with a friendly hello to everyone, a sincere appreciation for everything he experienced, and a genuine curiosity to learn as much as he could about this vast world. Our lives were better for knowing Bill Frei. He will be dearly missed.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Dick and Hazel Frei, his wife, Shirley Frei, and his sister, Patricia Hoar. He is survived by his sister Clara Frangquist of Warren, Michigan; son Tom (Tracey) Frei of Fargo, North Dakota; son John Frei of Washington, DC; daughter Mary Frei of Olympia, Washington; daughter Sarah Frei of Washington, DC; grandchildren Rachel (Joe) Bost, Elizabeth (Ben) Duchek, Peter Frei, Madeline (Mike) Rustvang, Henry Pace, Charlie Pace, and great-grandchildren Evelyn, Thomas, and Robert Bost, Violet Rustvang and Theodore Duchek.

Funeral Services will be held at the Reinbeck Community Church in Reinbeck, Iowa at 11 am on March 29, 2025. Light refreshments will follow in the Fellowship Hall. A private burial service will be held following the reception.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made by check or cash to:

Operation Threshold

1606 G Avenue

PO Box 41

Grundy Center, Iowa 50638-0041

Cards may be sent to:

Sarah Frei

4000 Massachusetts Ave. NW, #826

Washington, DC 20016