David Freese

david freese

October 10, 1943 ~ July 7, 2022

David Freese, age 78 of Geneva, passed away Wednesday, July 6th, 2022, at his home. He was born October 10th, 1943 in Bryan, OH, and was the son of Donald and Betty (Schlosser) Freese. He married Patricia Ann Zahniser on August 12, 1967, in Geneva.   He was employed by Geneva Area City Schools for his entire thirty-two-year career in education. He started as a teacher of history and later O.W.E. He then went on to become the Junior High principal and eventually Superintendent of Geneva Area City Schools.   He frequently reminisced about his years at Spencer High School, where he was a member of the last graduating class of the school. He always talked about his years at The Ohio State University and remained an avid Buckeye fan throughout his life.   David loved to travel with his family and friends and visited most of the fifty states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Along the way, he loved the adventures he encountered, from whitewater rafting in West Virginia, horseback riding in the Colorado mountains, scuba diving in the Bahamas, to taking a hydroplane flight over the glaciers of Alaska. However, most of all, he loved being at home with his family. Being visited by his kids and grandkids made his day. To gain the opinion of others, he delighted in being the devil’s advocate in conversations. Throughout his life, he valued a person for his contribution to the job rather than the person’s position.   David is survived by his wife, Patricia; daughters, Kim DeBacker, Bridget (Chris) Werling, and Kellie (Jeremiah) Emmett; grandchildren, Andrew, Michael (Megan), Sarah, Jacob, Isabelle, Kassie, Owen; and sister, Pam Yoblonsky. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Patricia Marie Freese.   Friends will be received from 4-7pm, Monday, July 11th, 2022, at Behm Family Funeral Home, 175 South Broadway in Geneva. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10am, Tuesday, July 12th, 2022, at Assumption Catholic Church in Geneva. Final resting place will be in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.   Contributions may be made in his name to the Cleveland Foundation (put the “Spirit of Geneva Scholarship” in the memo line of check). Mail to: The Cleveland Foundation, 1422 Euclid Ave., Suite 1300, Cleveland, OH 44115. Donations can also be made online: https://www.iphiview.com/tcf/GiveNow/GiveOnline/tabid/838/dispatch/contribution_id$294792_hash$a5cb039b1cb7bc7c53272bbbbc74e176ba5fd885/Default.aspx   Online obituary and condolences may be viewed at www.behmfuneral.com.

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  1. Truly sorry for your loss.Sending condolences from the Bartko family.Your family is in our thoughts and prayers.

  2. Next to the word educator is Dave’s picture. I was fortunate enough to have him as my science teacher in his first year in Geneva. All through the years after we crossed paths and always had time for a chat, a true testament to ” Local Boy did Good ” a road well traveled.

  3. A long-time and good friend, going back to 8th grade at Platt R Spencer High School where we were classmates and then as roommates and fellow-travelers on I-90 from OSU to Geneva when we were in college. Dave was an idealistic and good-hearted young man…. wanted to make the world a little better place, and he did. He wasn’t a wimp, either — although he was relatively small he answered the call and played tackle on the Spencer football team, which took a lot of courage on his part. He was about 5′ 9 and perhaps 170 lbs and had to lineup against guys over 6 ft and probably 230 lbs. They often gave him a really nasty time, but he stuck with it. He wasn’t a quitter, and I’m glad to have had him for a friend.


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