Donald E. Freres

Donald E. Freres, age 88, passed away Friday, July 27, 2012, at Wheaton Franciscan All Saints Medical Center.  He was born July 28, 1923, to Nicholas and Josephine (Nee:  Meier) Freres and has been a resident of the Racine area his entire life.

He was married to Beverly Smith on July 13, 1946; she died November 30, 1989.  Don married Lorraine (Nee:  Kottie) Kotnour Johnson on July 14, 1998.  He was a 1941 graduate of William Horlick High School.  He also attended undergraduate school at Illinois Institute of Technology.  Don enlisted in the United States Air Force in December 1942, and was discharged in March 1946.  He was a Radar Maintenance Crew Chief, serving in Canada, Philippines and Japan.  He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.

Don was an employee and co-owner of Sterling Tool Company for 49 years.  He was a Certified Manufacturing Engineer, holding four patents on industrial machinery.  He was co-founder of Racine/Kenosha Chapter of National Tool and Precision Machine Association, and was a life member of Society of Manufacturing Engineers.  Don was an active golf member of Kenosha Country Club.  He was a member of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church.

Survivors include his wife, Lorraine (Nee:  Kottie); his son, Peter J. (Sandy) Freres and grandson, Timothy Donald; four stepsons and wives and families; sister, LaVerne (Thomas) LaFleur; brother, James Freres; sisters-in-law, Betty Freres, Mary Jo (Earl) Quehl; brother-in-law, Thomas Kotnour; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.  He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Robert N. Freres; sisters, Annamae (Frank) McKee, Marion (Gerald) Liegler, Dorothy (Art) Sorensen; brothers-in-law, Joseph Smith, Harold Smith; and sisters-in-law, Helen (Alvin) Jensen and Eileen Freres.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 6400 Spring Street, on Tuesday, July 31, 2012, at 6 p.m. with Rev. Terrance Huebner officiating.  Relatives and friends may meet with the family at the church Tuesday from 4:30 p.m. until time of Mass.  Private burial will be held at Holy Cross Cemetery, Hwy 32.    Memorials to Freres/Sharp Scholarship Fund of Society of Manufacturing Engineers Racine Chapter #2 or St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church have been suggested.

MARESH-MEREDITH & ACKLAM FUNERAL HOME
803 Main St., Racine   (262) 634-7888