Linus R. “Lonny” Frey

1910 – 2009

Linus “Lonny” Frey passed peacefully into the arms of the Lord on Sunday, September 13, 2009, in Coeur D’ Alene, ID. Lonny was born August 23, 1910, to Frank and Louise Frey in St. Louis MO. He was married to his loving wife, Mary Ann Albrecht in 1935 until her passing in 1982. Lonny, also known as Grand Faz, to most of his large family, will be truly missed. The life of he lived was great and bountiful.His chosen profession, as a major league baseball player, started in the early 1930’s and lasted until 1949. The stories he told about those times were wonderful. His career in baseball started in 1932 with the AAA “Honeydews” in the Carolina league. From there it was on to the Brooklyn Dodgers, and he never looked back. During his seventeen years of major league professional baseball, he participated in the ‘39, ‘41 ‘43 All-Star Games. He also played in three different World Series, Cincinnati Reds ‘39 and ‘40 and with the New York Yankees,’47. In 1961 Lonny was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Baseball Hall of Fame. Lonny was the last surviving player to play for the big three, New York’s Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants and New York Yankees. In 1950 he finished his professional career with the AAA Seattle Rainiers. In the Fall of 1950 Lonny and Mary found the Northwest too irresistible and moved the family from St. Louis to Seattle and later settled in Bellevue to raise their three sons. The family memories that grew from these years, and the friends that were made, will forever be remembered. Even though he and his wife moved to Snohomish in the late ‘60s, they still had deep roots in the Eastside. In August of 2000 on his 90th birthday, Lonny was honored by throwing the first pitch at the Mariners game against the New York Yankees while all of his large family and friends looked on.After the death of his wife Mary, in 1982, Lonny moved to Coeur D’Alene, ID, where he remained active, living independently, riding his bike on all the trails, and taking long walks into his 97th year. His long discussions, of how The Game was played in his day and who the Mariners should or shouldn’t keep, were always entertaining. He so enjoyed all of the baseball fans who frequently requested his autographs on pictures, baseballs, and cards. Lonny is preceded in death by his loving wife, Mary, and their two sons, Anthony and Gerald; and his brothers Norbert and Lewis. He is survived by his sons, Thomas Frey (Margaret Ann) and Michael Frey (Joan); grandchildren, Tommy Frey (Stacey), Matthew Frey, Mary Margaret (Michael) Davis, Kevin Frey, and Megan (Martin) Doern; nine great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. He will be greatly missed by all of us. A Memorial Mass will be offered in celebration of his life at Sacred Heart Church in Bellevue, WA, on September 21, 2009, at 4:00 pm. The Frey Family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the staff at the Loyalton Retirement and Assisted Living Center, Coeur D’Alene, ID. We especially want to thank all of the care providers at Applegate Hospice, Hayden, ID, for the support that they gave Lonny in his last months.