A BJ farewell to Larry Froelich

Former BJ reporter Jim Ricci, a Los Angeles Times retiree, crossed the country to attend Larry Froelich’s memorial June 20 in Lexington, Kentucky, where Larry lived with wife Suzanne Dolezal Froelich.

Larry Froelich

Another former Steubenville resident and BJ reporter, Charles Montague, also was there, but from much-closer Akron.

Montague wrote:

“I asked him why he had made such a long and expensive journey to attend memorial and he said, ‘Hey, this is Fro’

“That sums up why I went, too, and really says it all about Larry.

“Another Akron guy from past who was there was Steve Ferrer, who did PR for Goodrich -- I think; wasn't taking notes. (Hope I am spelling his last name right.) He said Fro was best labor reporter he ever encountered.”

Jim Ricci

Unfortunately, Paula Tucker and I were cruising down the river – the Illinois River out of Peoria – and couldn’t make it to Larry’s memorial.

Except in spirit.

Larry passed away June 5 in the Akron area.

Froelich grew up in Dover, Ohio and is an Ohio University graduate.

In 1970, he was part of the Beacon Journal team that won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the Kent State massacre, in which Ohio National Guardsmen shot and killed four unarmed students and wounded nine others, including some who were not part of the protest as bullets were sprayed everywhere.

Larry is survived by his wife, Suzanne; three children, Mark (Christa) Froelich, Britta (Marc) Spanke, and Eric (Stephanie) Froelich; and five grandchildren, Jack, Halle, Lindsay, Clare and Robert. 

He will be buried later in Dover.