Pamela Freihofer

Pamela Elaine (Paul) Freihofer, 89, of Villa Hills, formerly of Lakeside Park, Kentucky, passed away Monday, November 25, 2024 at Hospice of St. Elizabeth, Edgewood surrounded by her family. 

Pamela was born on February 10, 1935 in Zanesville, Ohio to Norbert and Virginia (Coyle) Paul. She was a devoted wife and mother, lifelong elementary educator, and faithful member of Blessed Sacrament Church in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. Deeply grounded in her Catholic faith, Pamela embraced life, motherhood, and teaching with joy and purpose, serving as an enduring example of grace, patience, and optimism to her children, students, and all who knew her. 

Pamela was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 60 years, Frederick Joseph Freihofer, in 2020; her parents; sisters, Marilyn Paul and Sr. Sharon Paul; and grandchildren, Katie Stewart and Nick Pfennig. 

Survivors include her eight children, Gretchen (David) MacKnight, Mark (Donna) Freihofer, Christopher (Emily) Freihofer, Lisabeth (Roger) Bockweg, Timothy (Debbie) Freihofer, Stephanie (Mike) Pfennig, Phillip (Tammy) Freihofer, and Paul Freihofer; 23 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; siblings Diane Bruckner, Cynthia (John) Hatfield, and Wayne (Cassie) Paul; in-laws Charlotte (Jim) Ott, Carol Freihofer, and Vic Freihofer; and many nieces and nephews. 

Visitation is Tuesday, December 3, 2024 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Blessed Sacrament Church, Fort Mitchell. On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, a short visitation will be held from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am at Blessed Sacrament Church. Interment to follow in St. Mary Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. 

Memorial contributions are suggested to: Passionist Nuns, 1151 Donaldson Road, Erlanger, KY 41018 or KAREfarm, 2449 Rolling Hills Drive, Ft. Mitchell, KY 41017 or online at karefarm.org. 

The Story of Pamela…

Pamela was born on February 10, 1935 in Zanesville, Ohio, the first child of Norbert and Virginia (Coyle) Paul. She described a very happy and content life growing up with her sisters Diane, Cynthia, Sharon, and Marilyn and her brother Wayne. Her father, Norbert, worked in the family coal mine and was also a skilled carpenter, building their childhood home near the Muskingum River. Her mother, Virginia, was a homemaker and volunteer, as well as a talented pianist and singer.

The Paul family belonged to St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Zanesville, Ohio, and Pamela and her siblings went to St. Nicholas Elementary School and Bishop Rosecrans High School. In her teenage years, Pamela worked at Big Bear grocery store, the First National Bank of Zanesville, and was a lifeguard at nearby Lake Isabella, which cultivated a life-long love of swimming.

Pamela’s hard work and high school activities paid off in the form of a scholarship to Mount St. Joseph College in the ‘big city’ of Cincinnati, Ohio. She adored her time at ‘The Mount’ and made friendships that lasted a lifetime! 

Pamela graduated in 1958 with a degree in education and immediately got an apartment in Clifton, OH with her close friend and fellow Mount St. Joe graduate Ann Krauser Bechtold, from Chillicothe, OH. Both Ann and Pamela were elementary school teachers, and Pamela’s first teaching job was at Hays Elementary School in Cincinnati’s West End. On special occasions, she and her class would walk a few blocks into downtown Cincinnati for a treat at the local soda fountain.

Pamela and Ann enjoyed meeting new people and socializing in their early-to-mid-twenties and made many friends. One group of friends was from Fort Mitchell, in northern Kentucky. There, Pamela met Fred Freihofer, son of George and Elizabeth, who owned the Freihofer Bakery in Fort Mitchell near the corner of Dixie Highway and Orphanage Road. After a one-year courtship, Fred and Pamela knew they were meant for each other. Fred proposed to her during Sunday Mass at Annunciation Church in Clifton, OH, and Pamela said yes without hesitation! They married at St. Nicholas Church in Zanesville, OH in 1960. One of Pamela’s favorite memories from the wedding was turning around at the end of the Mass when the priest pronounced them husband and wife. She felt intense joy, and even her mother, Virginia, remarked that she’d never seen her oldest daughter smile so big! Pam and Fred enjoyed a two-week honeymoon at the stunning Niagara Falls and surrounding areas. And thank goodness for that quiet time, as life was about to get very busy!

While Pamela never knew a stranger and loved to be around people, babies and children especially brought her great delight. So much so, in fact, that she and Fred had eight of their own! They are the proud parents of Gretchen Annette, Frederick Mark, Christopher Joseph, Lisabeth Anne, Timothy George, Stephanie Lynn, Phillip Joseph, and Paul Andrew Freihofer.

Pamela and Fred began married life in a cozy apartment on Glenridge Place in Cincinnati, OH and within a year welcomed their first-born, Gretchen. They soon moved to another apartment on Merzen Court in Cincinnati, where they welcomed Mark, Chris, and Lisa. Quickly realizing they needed a home with more room to grow, they crossed the Ohio River and moved into a brand-new house on Concord Drive in Erlanger, KY in 1965. Tim, Stephanie, Phillip, and Paul were added to the family during their years on Concord Drive. The Freihofers were members of St. Henry Catholic Church for many years, and the children went to St. Henry for both grade and high school (with Mark graduating from Covington Latin). In 1981—when the children ranged from first grade to sophomore in college—Pamela and Fred moved the family to Fred’s family home at 19 Paul Hesser Drive in Lakeside Park, KY, which offered even more room for their large, busy family.

The experience growing up in the Freihofer family was one of love, tight-knit bonding, and teamwork! Pamela and Fred kept their Catholic faith at the center of family life, saying a full

rosary on Sunday nights, a decade of the rosary every night after dinner, nightly prayers before bed, memorizing extra prayers with their children (which was rewarded with a milkshake at Reeves Drive-In in Florence, KY), attending Sunday Masses, learning devotionals, and much more. As the kids grew older, started working, and learned to drive, Fred and Pamela developed an impressive knack for knowing every Mass time at every church within a reasonable radius of Erlanger, KY. They did not hesitate to call out any child who dared to claim attendance at a Mass that didn’t actually exist, swiftly sending them to the “last-chance” mass at St. Henry at 7 p.m. on Sundays. As often as they could, Pamela and Fred retreated to Waffle Houses throughout Northern Kentucky, cherishing the quiet moments together. Their warmth and openness naturally drew them to connect with employees and fellow customers, offering a listening ear to anyone in need of comfort or a kind conversation. Over time, their love for coffee and conversation became a hallmark of their lifestyle with family and friends.

Pamela expertly balanced a bustling household with eight energetic children and classrooms full of first-grade students, all while leading with unwavering love, boundless optimism, and a level of efficiency and organization that could rival the military. The kids cherish memories of their bedtime routine—when their mother read stories with them and said nighttime prayers. Despite getting little sleep herself, Pamela often rose early to prepare a big pot of oatmeal, a breakfast favorite. Each Sunday, she created a rotating job chart, assigning weekly responsibilities to ensure everyone knew their role and contributed to the smooth running of the household.

On Christmas, Pamela would ensure an absolutely magical day for the entire family, with a gorgeous Christmas tree and piles of gifts adorning the living room, which the kids were not allowed to enter until their parents woke up. In the summertime, Pamela and Fred took the family to vacation at her childhood home in Zanesville, which sat on 7 acres and provided a wonderland for fun, games, and outdoor play including tree climbing, wagon rides with their grandfather, hiking, and playing on the “brick wall” – which was actually a coal tipple, a structure formerly used at the family mine to sort coal for transport. The Freihofer kids adore memories of being with their grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles! Summer was also a time for endless swimming and play at the Triple-E Swim Club in Erlanger, KY, where Pamela and the kids would often stay the entire day while Fred was at work!

Throughout the year, Pamela made birthdays a special celebration, allowing each child to pick their favorite meal and dessert. In the early years, Pamela and Fred would take the kids to Jerry’s restaurant in Florence, KY, where they would share burgers and fries and the traditional small, white, round Jerry’s birthday cake, cleverly cut into ten slices. Pamela’s children were very active with swim team, basketball, volleyball, soccer, cheerleading,

school clubs, baseball, and ice skating and sledding in the 70s and early 80s when blizzards and frozen lakes defined winter.

Pamela's deep love and devotion to children extended beyond her own family. She built her entire career around nurturing young minds and earned a master’s degree from Xavier University (while she was pregnant with her eighth child). She was also a member of Phi Delta Kappa, an international association devoted to excellence in education. For 35 years, she taught first grade at Arnett Elementary School in Erlanger, KY, leaving an indelible mark on generations of students. Even in retirement, her dedication to children continued as she volunteered for many years at the Diocesan Catholic Children’s Home in Fort Mitchell and Prince of Peace School in Covington.

Pamela was often stopped by former students who excitedly exclaimed, “Mrs. Freihofer, do you remember me? You taught me in first grade!” Amazingly, she recognized most of them right away—and for the few she did not, it only took a small hint for the memories to come back.

In her later years, she enjoyed more time with the love of her life, Fred. They vacationed in Michigan and other Great Lakes areas, enjoying God’s natural beauty and the people they met along the way. Pamela and Fred also enjoyed spending as much time with their family as possible, including holiday celebrations, dinners and Sunday rosary with their sons, daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, relatives, and friends. These events were known to last for hours, featuring laughter, games, prayer, food, beer, conversation and multiple pots of coffee. Two years after Fred’s death in 2020, Pamela moved out of the family house on 19 Paul Hesser Drive and into the Brownstones at Madonna Manor in Villa Hills, where she lived independently and thoroughly enjoyed her life for another two years. It was a great honor and joy for her children to take her to all the family events including holidays, graduations, games, baptisms, and more. In the Fall of 2024, Pamela helped her daughter’s non-profit called KAREfarm (a grief retreat in Brooksville, KY), organizing the “Reflection” tent, consolidating guest feedback, participating in team meetings, and washing sheets!

Pamela lived her life to the fullest and did not want to miss a thing! The last weekend of her earthly life, she helped her granddaughter cook fish tacos and played dress-up with the great-grandchildren on Friday, went out to coffee and Christmas shopped on Saturday, and enjoyed a baptism and party for her great-grandchild Leo on Sunday.

While her eight children, 23 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren will profoundly miss Pamela, we treasure her 89 years here on earth, thanking God every day that she was our mother and grandmother.

“Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May the souls of Pamela and all the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”