Catherine "Kitty" Freed, 90, of Ada, died in her home on Nov. 25, 2016.
Catherine was first lady of Ohio Northern University for 20 years, from 1979 to 1999, when her husband, DeBow, served as president. She continued to be a strong supporter of ONU after this. She held a BA and BFA from the University of Texas, an MA from the University of Kansas; and an honorary doctorate from Ohio Northern University.
After several years of meaningful military service in the U.S. and abroad, the Freeds chose to go into private church-related higher education in keeping with their commitment to long-time public service. That led to Debow’s deanship of Mount Union College and presidencies of Monmouth College, Ohio Northern University and the University of Findlay for a total of five years as dean and 32 years as president.
Kitty, meanwhile, was a full partner in this higher education service, contributed greatly to successes of the institutions they served, and was very active in campus and community affairs wherever they lived.
She taught at the universities of Kansas and New Mexico and at colleges near the Freeds’ other homes. She was a lay pastor in the Methodist and Presbyterian churches, and she was an elder and elected head of the largest Presbytery in the country at the time. She regularly taught Bible study classes and frequently conducted worship services.
The dedication plaque for the Freed Center for the Performing Arts at ONU states that she, “a former faculty member and church leader, brought exceptional abilities and grace to many areas of University and community life.
Her quiet confidence, hard work, Christian concern and kindness, and encouragement of cooperative endeavors helped to bring faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends together to move the institution forward in remarkable ways.”
The annual ONU Catherine Freed Award to a Senior Woman Student for Leadership and Service is named for her, as is the Catherine Freed Mortar Board chapter and the Freed Contemporary Christian Lecture Series at the University of Findlay.
Catherine is prominently included in the room that is dedicated to the Freeds at West Point and in the book West Point Leadership: Profiles of Courage, which profiles 180 West Point graduates who are characterized as having helped to shape our world. The text notes the key role and unique contributions she made to the institutions the Freeds served, which prospered greatly from their leadership as part of their lifetime of service.
A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held at the Ohio Northern University English Chapel at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17.
There will be a display of mementos in the chapel lobby, and a video on her life of service will be shown in the chapel lobby at 10 a.m. and 10:40 a.m. A video of the Freed years at Ohio Northern will be shown at 10:20 a.m.
A buffet lunch will be served in McIntosh Center following the service. The videos on her life of service and the Freed years at ONU also be shown during the buffet lunch.
A memorial service will be held later in the Old Cadet Chapel at West Point, N.Y., prior to burial in the West Point National Cemetery.
The family suggests no flowers or memorial contributions. Condolences or other messages can be sent to [email protected] or mailed to him at 205 W. Lima Ave., Ada, Ohio 45810.
