Reverend Dr. Harald A. Frey (STH ’55, STH ’61)
Reverend Dr. Harald A. Frey (STH ’55, STH ’61)
Harald Andreas Christian Frey was born near Stuttgart, Germany the ninth of 13 children of Gottlob Frey, a Methodist minister, and his wife, Maria. As a teenager in Germany during World War II, Harald endured hardships including bombings and food shortages, as well as a separation from his family when school-aged city children were evacuated to rural areas for their safety. After the war, at age 16, Harald experienced a religious epiphany at a church camp, which led to his dedication to life in Christian service.
In 1950, Harald traveled to America, hosted by “foster parents” Robert and Grace Dawson of Pasadena: First United Methodist Church. He attended Pasadena College for a year then, with financial support from the church, enrolled at the Boston University School of Theology in 1952. In 1956, he married Nancy Whyte, a Boston native. After serving churches in Portland, Maine and Warren, Rhode Island, Harald, Nancy and their two young children (Peter and Heidi) moved back to California to “found” a new Methodist church (The Church of the Good Shepherd) in Westminster, California. Their son Andrew was born there in 1962.
Harald served as senior pastor of the 1200-member-strong Temple: First United Methodist Church (Arizona) for 11 years. He considered this the most productive assignment of his ministry and enjoyed the many associations afforded by the church’s proximity to Arizona State University. In 1976, Harald was assigned to the Whittier: First United Methodist Church; then in 1980, with the children all off to college, he and Nancy moved to the Tucson area to serve the Green Valley Community Church. In 1985, Harald and Nancy returned to California, to the Rolling Hills United Methodist Church. Then in 1988, Harald was appointed to his final church: as head pastor of the Estero Bay United Methodist Church in Morro Bay. He happily retired there in 1993. In 2009, just before Harald’s 80th birthday, he and Nancy moved to Venice, California to be closer to their children. He lived out his final years surrounded by family, music, good food, and ocean breezes.
Harald is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Nancy; by children Peter, Heidi and Andrew; by grandchildren Noah Greenwald, Kayla Frey, Maya Greenwald and Logan Frey; and by siblings Artur Frey, Gretel Reinhardt, Marta Frey, Marie-Else Sartor-Frey, Erich Frey and Dieter Frey.