23 September 2004 Cricket and Soccer Spiced his Recipe for Life – Obituary for Holder Frey

The mysteries of the great English game of cricket didn't long confuse Austrian immigrant Holder Frey when he first arrived in Canterbury with his New Zealand-born wife Marian and three children 22 years ago. Stories of his passionate involvement with the game abounded at his funeral earlier this month and the guard of honour at the service formed by players from Canterbury Country Women's Cricket was a fitting tribute to his contribution to the sport.

The tale was however told that when Holder first sat down with some Kiwi relations to watch a New Zealand cricket match on television the game had been under way for several overs when he asked in a puzzled tone, "When is it going to start?"

But there was no restraining the sports-loving Holder once cricket took a grip and the attachment quickly grew to equal that of the other great game that absorbed him, soccer. There was a funeral guard of honour too from his soccer club, Halswell United AFC.

In management, coaching, and administration Holder gave his all to both sports. He was a founder of Canterbury Country Women's Cricket, and set out determinedly to get the team into the Canterbury competition. They made it and this year, renamed Old Colls Canterbury, they won Canterbury Cricket's Open Grade One-Day Competition.

He was dedicated too to JAB cricket in Lincoln, contributing for more than 15 years through coaching at all grades and serving as JAB president.

In soccer, with Halswell United AFC, he managed both its men's and women's premier teams, represented both teams on the club executive and represented Halswell at various times at Canterbury executive level. He started mini-maxi soccer at Halswell, managed a Christchurch under-11 side on a tour to Tasmania and managed a Canterbury under-16 team at national tournament level.

In the Mainland Premier League, his Halswell Men's Team were three times league winners and held most of the top trophies at different times over the years.

For his services to soccer over more than 20 years Holder was made a Life Member of Halswell United AFC in 2003.

Beyond sport Holder Frey stamped his mark on the catering industry in Christchurch. Brought up in the hospitality business in Austria where his parents operated a hotel, Holder attended Innesbruck University and graduated in Economics before being called back to help run the family hotel. His catering expertise flourished and when he came to New Zealand he was appointed Catering Manager at Lincoln University, working initially for Nationwide Food Service (now Spotless Catering) then for the University itself when it took over the operation.

Holder was passionate about everything he did and immediately stamped his mark on food services at Lincoln University. His team's superbly prepared and presented food made the refectory more akin to a restaurant than an institutional dining hall and the University became famous for its fare.

He was 17 years at Lincoln University, supervising a catering staff of at times up to 60 and feeding more than 600 or more students living on campus, as well as catering for functions.

Holder had great empathy with the students and loved special occasion catering. The University's biennial EnviroSchool Dinner was one such event that always took his interest. Once, when a Government Minister attended, he delighted participants with an introductory talk about the special choice of food for the evening including organic lines and, for the first time, halal meat.

Holder was a devoted husband and father and while he threw himself into Kiwi life and always regarded the day he received New Zealand citizenship as a touchstone moment, he made sure his children – Michele, Thomas and Oliver, all born in Austria remembered their European heritage. For example, Christmas was celebrated in the Austrian style which among other things meant everyone got to open their presents on Christmas Eve. That always made us feel special and the envy of our New Zealand mates, says daughter Michele.

Until five years ago the Frey family lived on the Lincoln University campus where Holder's wife Marian was also involved in catering and ran the University's lunch club. They moved to Prebbleton when Holder went into business on his own account as a food safety consultant. The business was thriving and Holder was well into this new chapter in his varied and energetic life when he died suddenly on 29 August.

Holder Frey, born Leipzig, Germany 1943, died Prebbleton, Canterbury 2004, aged 60. Survived by wife Marian and children Thomas, Oliver and Michele.