Larry Froelich obituary

Former BJ reporter Larry Froelich’s widow, Suzanne Dolezal Froelich, provided his obituary. They lived in Lexington, Kentucky.

Larry Froelich

Larry’s first wife was former BJ reporter Janis Froelich, who lives in Tierra Verde, Florida (near St. Petersburg) with her husband, St. Petersburg photographer Ray Bassett.

Larry fell and passed away June 4 in Ohio. His memorial service will be June 20 in Lexington.

Larry’s obituary:

Larry Norman Froelich died at age 77 on June 5, 2017 after a sudden accident. He worked at the Beacon Journal as a reporter and editor from 1968 until 1980. He was a police reporter, labor writer and business editor.

Froelich grew up in Dover, Ohio and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University. After college, he attended U.S. Army Officer Candidate School in Fort Benning, GA, and served two years as an Army Public Information Officer there.

As a Beacon Journal police reporter, he worked with the Akron police to design a successful anti-crime program that later inspired the national Neighborhood Watch program.

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 protesting the Vietnam War.

In 1980, he moved to the Detroit Free Press, where he worked as assistant copy desk chief and assistant news editor for a decade.

In 1990, he moved to Lexington, where he served as news editor until he retired in 2005. “Larry was the engine of the newsroom after 4 p.m.,” said Will Scott, Herald-Leader copy editor. “He sometimes came across as gruff, but he really was warm, gentle and witty. He set a high bar for the paper, and any story that didn't meet his standard didn't get printed until it was made right.”

In retirement Froelich pursued his lifelong passion for learning, taking a wide range of courses through the University of Kentucky’s Donovan Scholars Program. His special interests were military history and science.

Froelich maintained enduring friendships with many who shared his journey through life, but his greatest source of pride was his loving family.

He 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. 

There will be a memorial service in Lexington on June 20 and there will be a private burial later in the summer in Dover. Memorial donations may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or the Lexington Humane Society.

Suzanne's email is suzfroelich@hotmail.com