Hans Helmuth Frey

1928 - 2020

Hans Helmuth Frey June 11, 1928 - October 9, 2020 Hans passed away peacefully in his sleep in the wee hours of the morning on Freyday, October 9th. He will be missed dearly by all who knew him, young and old alike, for his zest for life, generosity, and relentless optimism. Hans Helmuth Frey was the second of three sons of Fritz and Erica Von Carnap Frey of Karlsruhe, Germany, where he was born. He excelled as a student in academics and in sports. In 1943, at age 15, shortly after winning the Tennis Junior Championship of his State, he was inducted into the Flak Combat Command of the German Luftwaffe, and saw combat at the home and the Eastern fronts. After WWII, while a student at the German Mannheim School of Economics, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Washington University of St. Louis Mo., where he earned a BA degree in Economics. Hans was drafted into the US Army and served two years stationed at Baumholder, Germany. The Anheuser-Busch Brewery of St. Louis recruited Hans for their Marketing Division and for the next twenty years he held marketing positions in several regions of the US, charged with the recruitment, training, and advising of independent beer wholesalers. So was born his ambition to own an independent Budweiser wholesale distributorship himself. He made it happen. In 1974, Hans purchased the small brewery owned Stockton wholesale distributorship from Anheuser-Busch. Then on his own as an entrepreneur, he set out to apply the experience of twenty years, and the results were dramatic. Starting out with three delivery trucks and eight employees, he built a team over the next ten years which ten folded sales to retailers, added 40 new employees and 25 new delivery units. He revolutionized the delivery system by introducing palletized side loaded tractor-trailers, never before used in California, an industry where rear loaded trucks had been the norm. His vision was proven correct when slowly the beverage industry switched to Hans' new delivery system. While sales set new records every year, other marketing tactics gained the attention of wholesalers nationwide. He designed and built the first refrigerated beer distribution center in California, which became a model for the beverage industry. Hans installed a Profit Sharing Plan for all employees, another innovative first, and purchased the distributorship for the Amador and Calaveras Counties to the East. He became known as a trail blazing leader and model employer. His company's success did not go unnoticed. In 1984, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery of St. Louis, fully aware of Hans' achievements and the promise of sales trends to continue, made him, "an offer I could not refuse." He sold, "lock, stock, and barrel," and exited the beer wholesale distribution business. Hans founded another enterprise in the 80's - the wholesale distributorship for the products of Armstrong, the world's largest flooring manufacturer. Driven by the building boom of the "80s and 90s", Hans' blue and white delivery vans were soon servicing over 1000 flooring retail businesses anywhere in Northern California and Northern Nevada. Hans prospered beyond expectations, his Frey Inc. flooring business earned Armstrong's coveted National Sales and Marketing Award several years in a row. Hans, with the goal of selling his flooring business by age 70, reached a deal, "out of sheer luck," and sold before the collapse of the building boom and flooring industry. Hans' personal life was deeply enmeshed in his business activities. His first wife Patsy Salyer Frey of Cincinnati passed away after fifteen years of marriage. Together they had two children, Karen Frey Fairbrook of Seattle, and Hans G. Frey Jr. of San Diego (wife Debbie, children James and Christine.) With Hans' second wife Charlene Frey Mayer of Royal Oaks, he had two children, Erica Alexandra Lauren Frey (husband Tom Paige) and Hans H. Frey Jr., of Stockton. During his marriage Hans was heavily involved in founding and managing his various businesses and often expressed his regrets not to have more time to more thoroughly invoke himself in the upbringing of his children, whom he called his greatest and most important blessings. Hans' children always responded by declaring him, "best dad in the world." Not one to stay idle, in retirement Hans threw himself into his neglected love for Tennis. Entering the Grand Prix Senior Tournament Circuit, he quickly established himself as one of the dominant senior players in California and beyond. In 1998, he played in the German Senior Championships in Baden-Baden, Germany and then in the Seniors World Championships in Austria. Back home he won the National Indoor Championship in San Francisco and the Bank of the West Senior Championship in Santa Rosa. Hans was named the USTA California Senior Singles Player of the Year in 1998, and retired from the sport after undergoing two hip replacements. Hans' interests were wide and diverse. His humor and quick wit endeared him to many in all walks of life. Mingling easily with the High and Mighty of business, sports and politics, he remained a registered Non-partisan all his life. Hans was invited to the White House where the elder President Bush bestowed upon Hans a life long membership in the Senatorial Inner Circle, along with the Republican Senatorial Medal of Freedom. He gave few but meaningful words there, "only in America can a poor young immigrant advance to having dinner with the President of the United States and receive such a high honor. I am an American." In 2000 Hans and Marlene Stone Richmond of Stockton were married by the captain of a cruise ship off of the coast of Bora Bora, in Polynesia. In the seventh of their Golden Years together, Marlene was struck with dementia. Gracefully accepting her fate, she lived six more years with Hans by her side. Having received numerous honors and tributes during his life, Hans wished that there be no services or tributes, but that Love and Kindness among all friends and family be their expressions of grief at his passing. In parting tribute to his late wife Marlene, with whom he exchanged marriage vows on the High Seas, Hans directed that his ashes be scattered at sea by the Neptune Society of Northern California. Hans' legacy will live on in his children, Hans G. Frey (Debbie), Erica A. L. Frey (Tom), Hans H. Frey Jr., and his grandchildren James and Christine Frey. The Frey family wishes to thank; Tina Moreno for her loving care and devotion for Hans, all doctors caring for Hans, and the staff of the Meadowood Skilled Nursing & Rehab at O'Connor Woods for providing tremendous care during Hans' final weeks. Happy Freyday remember to always "Live, Laugh, and Love."