Lou Frey Former United States Congressman Lou Frey passed away on October 14th at the age of 85. He served the Central Florida community for a decade from 1968-1978 and was a member of the congressional Republican House leadership from 1973 through 1976. Frey brought tremendous economic development opportunities to the Central Florida area. As a result of his leadership, Kennedy Space Center was designated as the space shuttle’s home base. McCoy Air Force base was sold to the City of Orlando for $1, establishing the Orlando International Airport. Frey also worked to conserve the Canaveral National Seashore and founded an institute for politics and government at the University of Central Florida, donating his congressional records. He also developed a joint center with former United States Senator Bob Graham at the University of Florida, which is dedicated to civics education for K-12 students. He was a Navy veteran, attorney and noted public radio commentator.
On a personal note, I would like to pay tribute to Congressman Frey as he greatly impacted my family and our involvement in Florida and national politics since the 1960’s. My father Oscar Juarez served as Frey’s chief of staff, traveling back and forth from Orlando to Washington, DC when Congress was in session. He recently spoke at Frey’s funeral regaling the friends and family with the story of how Frey decided to run for office. Congressman Frey set an example for leaders. He believed that the country’s success hinged on its leaders’ ability to work in a bipartisan and civil manner. His upbeat attitude, work ethic and ability to find solutions for success will be missed.