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Her love of FSU, sports inspires fundraiser

By ERNEST HOOPER
Published September 19, 2006

When it came to sports, Katie Froeschle was more participant than fan.

At various times during her four years at Lakewood High, she took part in basketball, softball, powder puff football, swimming and gymnastics. She went hiking in her native Colorado when she had the time and enjoyed scuba diving and snow skiing.

Yet the fan side of her blossomed when she enrolled in Florida State University in 1998. It took only one game at Doak Campbell Stadium for the Seminoles to win her over.

"She wasn't much of a football fan when she went up to FSU, but after that first game, she called me up and she was just so excited," Tampa lawyer Jeffrey Froeschle said of his daughter, who would have turned 27 this year. "They had won, and she was just so excited. She was sold. She became an avid football and basketball fan and she also went to baseball games when she had time."

Now Katie's family and friends are sustaining her memory with an event that combines her love of sports and Florida State. Organizers will celebrate her life and raise money for a scholarship fund by staging the inaugural Katrina Anne "Katie" Froeschle Memorial Golf Tournament at Heritage Harbor Golf & Country Club on Oct. 6.

You may recall that Katie, a Florida Farm Bureau insurance adjuster, senselessly was murdered in November 2004 while inspecting a Sulphur Springs home's hurricane damage. Jason Funk, who rented the home and had no relationship with Katie, pleaded guilty and is now serving a life sentence.

Jeffrey Froeschle wishes he didn't have to speak of his daughter in the past tense, but it is a healing experience to tell people about her and to remember what made her special.

Katie shared a special bond with her parents and two younger brothers. In death, however, Jeffrey Froeschle learned even more about his daughter's kindness.

"She had worked at the Subway near where we lived and had worked with somebody who eventually enlisted and was sent over to Afghanistan," Jeffrey Froeschle said. "She wrote him an e-mail or sent him a letter every week. She sent him care packages.

"People talk about support your troops, but with Katie, it was real."

There are a number of people willing to attest to Katie's devotion as a friend. Her memorial service was held at the 250-seat Island Chapel on Tierra Verde, where Katie and her family lived since 1981. More than 700 people attended. While others might choose to internalize their grief forever, Katie's family and friends long to pull something positive out of the tragedy. Hence the scholarship fund, which rewards students in FSU's highly ranked risk management/insurance, real estate and business law department.

Elizabeth Skrzypek received the first scholarship in March, but Jeffrey Froeschle says they want to help more students.

"I can't speak for other parents who have lost their children, but I can say for myself that I don't want to have Katie forgotten," Jeffrey Froeschle said.

After awarding the first scholarship, Jeffrey Froeschle began speaking with other supporters about a fundraising event. He swapped e-mails with Randy Dumm, one of Katie's FSU professors, as well as former students Lester Morales, Mary Katharine Lawler, Tyler Deneault and Tracie Domino, a Kappa Alpha Theta sorority sister.

They held an organizational meeting at Po' Boys in South Tampa because Katie used to gather with other Seminole fans at the original Po' Boys in Tallahassee. More than 35 people volunteered to help.

Po' Boys, 2216 W Platt St., will be the site of a pretournament game-watch party and fundraiser on Oct. 5, when FSU plays North Carolina State. The tournament will be the next day at Heritage Harbor, 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway, beginning with lunch at 11:30 a.m. and a shotgun start at 1 p.m.

Organizers are hoping for a full field for the four-person scramble. State Farm, AFLAC and Froeschle's firm, Bush-Ross, have signed on as sponsors, but organizers would like more.

For information, contact Kristan Long at Bush-Ross, 813 204-6459, klong@bushross.com or go to www.cob. fsu.edu.

That's all I'm saying.

Ernest Hooper can be reached at (813) 226-3406 or hooper@sptimes.com.

[Last modified September 19, 2006, 00:32:07]