“Mum... you will be missed,” daughter Councillor Sandy Freudenstein said of her mother and community stalwart Clare Freudenstein, who was formally farewelled in St Mary’s Catholic Church on Friday.
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About 200 people gathered for the 11am funeral and prayer service to celebrate what can only be described as an extraordinary life of a woman with a big heart.
Clara (Clare) Maud Freudenstein passed away, aged 90, in Mercy Care Hospital on August 18 following a brief illness.
Sandy, who read her mother’s eulogy, recalled her mother’s last moments, saying that they would no longer be able to keep secrets from her because she’ll be watching them from above.
“And she smiled,” Sandy said.
Clare’s first daughter Jill Wunderlich also spoke, describing her mother as a woman of character, someone who frequently reached out her hand to charities and one who loved entertaining family and friends.
“Clare Freudenstein was strong and dignified in her home and out of her home,” she said.
Clare was born on June 6, 1925, married Keith Freudenstein in 1946 and devoted her time between then and now to her husband, three daughters - Jill, Sandy and Rhonda Daly - and charity.
She gave 68 years to work at the helm of several charities, earning numerous awards.
Her most prestigious came in 1995 when she was presented with an Order of Australia Medal for her charity work by the Governor of NSW.
A family tribute told the tale of how she broke protocol in the finely tuned Government House ceremony on Sydney Harbour by insisting her husband Keith sit beside her with other recipients for the conferring of honours.
Clare refused to be separated from him, telling them “he was her story” and it was because of his encouragement and support that she dedicated so much time to her charity roles.
Clare always derived great pleasure from her community service record and the recognition that followed.
She wore her badges for her OAM and Red Cross - of which she was a patron following 55 years’ service - with pride at civic functions.
And gracing the walls of her home at “Blair Athol” were 13 certificates of her public service.
The tribute read that she loved helping others and never quibbled to do a good deed.
When she was asked how she’d like to be remembered, she said “I’d like to be remembered just as Clare, a lady who lived for her family…”
