June 16, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College mourns the loss of David Frey, who has supported opportunities for GRCC students for nearly 50 years.
Mr. Frey, who passed away on June 14 at age 81, was a leader in his family’s Frey Foundation. The organization was founded in 1974 and made its first donation to what was then Grand Rapids Junior College that same year, supporting the newly created preschool program and assisting students who needed childcare while they attended classes.
“David Frey and the Frey Foundation have touched the lives of GRCC students for decades, making a life-changing college education more accessible for them,” said Erin Van Egmond, executive director of the GRCC Foundation. “Our college, and our city as a whole, is a stronger, better place because of his kindness and generosity. We will miss him, and know that he leaves a tremendous legacy.”
The Frey Foundation’s support for GRCC includes donations for the Fratzke Early Childhood Learning Center, the Alfred P. Smith Music Center, the Open Door Campaign, the GRCC Works Capital Campaign and the Broader Vision Campaign.
The foundation also is a key supporter of the Grand Rapids Promise Zone, which covers the cost of attending GRCC for students graduating from high schools within Grand Rapids.
GRCC honored the Frey Foundation and family at the 2015 Scholarfest event.
Mr. Frey and the foundation supported causes throughout Grand Rapids, often leveraging public-private partnerships to create, grow and support community institutions and organizations.
He was born in Grand Rapids, and earned degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War before entering the banking world, succeeding his father, Edward Frey, as chairman of Union Bank & Trust.
Edward Frey and his wife, Frances, established the foundation. Frances Frey was a Grand Rapids Junior College graduate.
David Frey was co-chairman of Grand Action and chairman of Grand Design, organizations that spearheaded efforts to create the Van Andel Arena, De Vos Place Convention Center, Grand Valley State University’s downtown campus, the historic renovation of the Meijer Majestic Civic Theater, Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine and the Downtown Market, among others.