Christine Frommann

Christine’s early years began at Eagle Lake in Texas Township where she attended Mattawan Consolidated Schools until her high school graduation in 1981. Chris spent many summers with her sister and brothers playing outdoors with their Shetland pony, Freddy, as well as their two childhood dogs, Spooky and Duffy. In true Vivian fashion, Chris’ mother decided that she wanted the kids to learn how to swim, so she arranged for the YMCA to come out to Eagle Lake to teach them. Chris excelled quickly and was a natural swimmer ever since. It was rare that you would find her far from water. Chris loved the many sailing trips on Lake Michigan’s coast captained by her dad and accompanied by her family and family friends. Aside from her brothers and sister, her playmates included numerous kids from the Heritage Estates neighborhood as well as her classmates at Mattawan schools, many of whom became lifelong friends. Looking back, her sister Kate recalls meeting Chris’ future husband, Dick Frommann, when they were all in elementary together.

As a teen and young adult, Chris loved music and attended too many rock concerts to list or confess. In her senior yearbook, she listed her dream was “to be stranded on a deserted island with Ted Nugent”. Chris eventually got to meet him and then sketched a beautiful, detailed portrait of the rocker. Ever the creative spirit, a gift from her dad, Chris won several art awards throughout her school days. Among their distinctive art endeavors, they designed and implemented artworks that were featured in Burt Upjohns Group, now the Greenleaf Corp, such as The Black Swan, Great Lakes Shipping Co. and Sharron’s on West Lake. They were also commissioned to design several boat signs; sandblasted, craved and trimmed with gold leaf, they left no detail untouched. Her creativity followed her into her adult years as well. One of Chris’ many talents also included her ability to put on fabulous parties and events. As many would say, “Ain’t no party like a Chris Frommann party.” From the invitations to the food, her attention to detail was unmatched. Whether it be her daughters and daughter-in-laws baby showers, her kids graduations or birthdays, if you got an invite to one of her shin-digs, you cleared your calendar.

Following high school Chris continued her education at Davenport University. Chris started working at Kalamazoo Public Schools in 1987 alongside her mother and best friends Vicky Leatherman and Tracy Miller in the administration building on Howard Street. Chris would say the best part of her 33 years with KPS was the friends she had collected along the way; many of whom were present at baby showers for both her children and grandchildren. Chris had a strong work ethic and took pride in her work, but most of all she had a heart for the staff, students, and parents that she served. Chris had advanced technical, design, and database skills along with other skills and professional attributes that others relied on and admired. In the office, Chris was best known for prank phone calls (in the days before caller ID), hiding or rearranging everything on a coworker's desk, and even hiding a life size papier-mache mannequin behind an office door. She brought fun and laughter to work with her every day! She brightened up her co-workers' lives through laughter, being a jokester, and by telling funny stories about her family and life experiences. She was often called "Princess" and wore the title with great honor.

Chris was married in 1988 to Dick and together they raised their kids in Portage, MI. They welcomed their first daughter, Shelli, the same year and it was then that Chris found her calling. Being a mother was one of Chris’ legacies and it rang truer at the welcoming of her son, Teddy, in 1990 and finally the birth of her youngest, Meghan in 1993. She thrived at spoiling her kids, as their house was the “hot-spot” of the neighborhood. The backyard was full of entertainment, with two playhouses, a trampoline, swimming pool, and volleyball net. She would spend all summer with her kids in the pool “sun-bathing” and goofing around.

Chris always said the happiest days of her life was when her children were born. There wasn’t a single person who came into contact with Chris that didn't know the names and interests of all of her kids. She took pride in the closeness of her family and never missed an opportunity to spend time with them. Even though Chris and Dick split in 2002, they remained great friends and every holiday was spent together as a family. Holidays were always a big deal in the Frommann household. Chris would Pinterest for days to find fun recipes and hors d'oeuvres to make for holiday gatherings and would always pick out the most thoughtful gifts. Games and prizes were the highlight of the parties, many of which involved friendly competition between her children. Over the years, she was a second mom to many. Among them was her son's best friend, Thomas Pauter, whom she would joke around was her favorite “son”. He spent his first Christmas with the family in the late 2000’s and has been an honored guest ever since.

Described by many as humorous and playful, Chris was a known jokester. She had a contagious laugh and even more infectious smile. Many would be able to recall memories of her attempts at embarrassing her children for her own amusement. One such memory is the “Good Morning” song she would sing to the kids to wake them up for school, or when they slept in too long at sleepovers, crooning out of key and louder than the average eardrum could handle. But over the groans of the kids you could hear cheerful laughter as she left the room. April Fool’s Day was like Christmas to her. From waking the kids up an hour earlier than normal to make them think they had missed the school bus, to pouring salt in their cereal, Chris’ kids knew better than to let their guard down on April 1st.

Teammates and parents always knew Shelli, Teddy and Meghan's mom as the loudest cheerleader on the sidelines. Chris enjoyed making sweatshirts with her kids’ jersey numbers and waving pom-poms to pump up the team. Chris was always volunteering to get involved, but she especially enjoyed moving the chains in the “Chain Gang,” covering concession stand duty and painting lines on the field. It was a hard transition from Pee-Wee football to high school when she was eventually forced to watch the games from the stands. but that didn't stop her from being Teddy’s number one fan. One of the happiest moments of Chris’ life was when she realized that she had a new generation of kids to cheer for when her grandsons were enrolled in both football and baseball. Rain or shine, Grandma Chris was there to support them.

Chris and her youngest Meghan shared a love for babies, and she was over the moon to learn that Meghan was pregnant with twin boys. It would only add to her joy to hear the news of her 6th grandchild, as Teddy and his wife Abbie are also expecting a baby this year. With a heart like Chris’, Lord knows the love she would have given them. That showed true with her involvement in all of her grandchildren's lives. She found great joy in being a “Boy Grandma,” to her three grandsons, Michael, Graham, and youngest Thomas. Pictures flooded her home and office of her boys and her dedication as a grandparent was unmatched. Chris would tell you that each of her kids were special in their own ways and inherited several of her shining qualities. Shelli, her strong willed free-spirited one, shared her artistic and creative talents. Teddy, as she called “her snuggle bug,” was her sweet boy who was smart and outgoing, shared her humor; and Meghan, her baby girl, shared her tender heart, motherly instincts, and contagious smile. To say that her children were the best part of her was an understatement.

Chris passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in her home on Tuesday, April 7th due to ongoing health issues. A memorial service in Chris’ honor is scheduled for June 13th, 2020 at 7560 W. V Ave, Schoolcraft, MI 49087 from 2-5 PM. In lieu of flowers, a fund is in place in support of her children. Please visit Christine's memorial page at www.BetzlerLifeStory.com for more information on where to make a contribution and to share memories or personal messages. Arrangements by Betzler Life Story Funeral Home, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900.