Richard 'Rick' John Frey

Former Havre resident, Richard "Rick" John Frey, 59, died of respiratory failure, Monday, Aug. 29, at the Adventist Medical Center Emergency Room in Portland, Ore.

Rick was born Aug. 20, 1952, to Clarence John Frey and Marguerite Strand Frey at the Sacred Heart Hospital in Havre, Mont. He is survived by two sisters, Leslie (Bud) Baldwin of Bigfork and Susan (Ron) Modrall of Napa, Calif. He is also survived by three brothers, James of Havre, William of Great Falls and Ronald (Tammy) Frey of Lakeside. He is also survived by nine nephews and one niece. He was preceded in death by his father, Clarence, and mother, Marguerite Frey, both of Havre, Montana.

Ross Hollywood Chapel and Crematory of Portland, Ore., is in charge of arrangements.

Rick attended St. Jude's grade school and Havre High School. As a youth, Rick was active in Havre Youth Baseball and was known for his pitching, especially his fast ball and ability to throw it without having complete control of where it was going. Hitters were especially aware of this. He played basketball at the O'Leary's garage, and the games were competitive as well as combative. Touch football in the street was also a favorite of Rick's with most games ending when a fight started. Rick was also a member of the Havre Lions Swim Team. As a teenager, Rick became an avid motorcycle rider. He became an accomplished pool player as well as a poker player.

Rick moved to Denver, Colo., in 1970. There he met the love of his life, Beth. They were together for approximately 20 years. They later moved to Portland, Ore., where Rick established himself as a maintenance worker for the Oregon Public School System. He also had a dog, Shepherd that he trained to catch and retrieve frisbees. Rick loved camping, hanging out with friends, traveling and meeting new people. His life was a truly a celebration of living, though in recent years, ill health forced him to slow down, and death was never far from his door.

Cremation has taken place and a private scattering of ashes is planned for the future. No public service is planned at the present time.