Frances Fredrick

Frances Schwenk Fredrick

Frances Irene Schwenk Fredrick, 79, of Charlottesville, passed away Monday, November 2, 2009, at a local hospital.

Born February 2, 1930, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of the late Edwin and Grace Adams Schwenk.

Francie graduated from Hershey High School in 1947.

She was married to Laurence W. Fredrick at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hershey on February 5, 1949.

She is survived by her husband, Laurence of Charlottesville; her children, Laura F. Marek and her husband, Douglas, of Ames, Iowa, Theodore D. Fredrick and his wife, Wyndy, of Herndon, and Rebecca Mesarch and her husband, Michael, of Cape St Claire, Maryland; eight grandchildren, Rachel Marek of Iowa City, Iowa, Eden Marek of Ames, Trici Fredrick of Williamsburg, T.J., Tean and Travis Fredrick of Herndon, and Abby and Lily Mesarch of Cape St. Claire; four sisters and one brother also survive her, Ruth DiDonato, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mary Louise Valatti of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, Martha Keister of Culver City, California, Carolyn Hess of Hershey, Pennsylvania and David Schwenk of Palmyra, Pennsylvania.

She was predeceased by one brother, Edwin Schwenk Jr.

Francie worked for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Cooperative Association and the Swarthmore College Library before tending to her family full time. Francie tirelessly supported her husband as they moved from Pennsylvania to Arizona to Virginia as well as on many international trips and several much enjoyed sabbatical experiences in Austria and Australia. In Charlottesville, she supported her children's education and many activities with volunteer work and in more recent years delighted in the activities of her grandchildren. Francie was the dedicated organizer of Farmington Country Club's participation in "Rally for a Cure" from 1994 until she retired from this volunteer post at the conclusion of the 2009 event.

The family would like to thank the staff at H.O.P.E Cancer Center and the Martha Jefferson Hospital for the dedicated and compassionate care Francie received.

The family will host a memorial celebration of Francie's life in Charlottesville in late November.

In lieu of flowers, a contribution to the University of Virginia's Athletic Foundation directed to the Swimming and Diving Teams could be made in memory of Francie's long standing dedication to University of Virginia athletes.

Friends may sign a guest register at teaguefuneralhome.com.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.