JANE COYLE FREESE

Jane Coyle Freese passed from this life into glory on Friday, November 14, 2025. Granny, as many called her, lived abundantly, leaving a legacy of love, beauty and service to her family and friends. She was born in Hardinsburg, Kentucky and moved to Fort Worth, Texas with her parents at age 4, where she started Kindergarten and met her future husband, John Freese. John says that even as a child, “Jane was entirely authentic”. Their first “date” was a school field trip to Mrs. Baird’s Farm, when John asked Jane to ride with him in the front seat of his mother’s car. This past August marked 90 years of attraction and 70 years of marriage.

Jane was an exceptional student and graduate of Alice Carlson Elementary, McLean Middle School, Paschal High School and Texas Christian University. After TCU, Jane taught English at McLean, passing on her love of English Grammar.

In 1955, Jane and John married and moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where she continued her teaching career, while John finished his medical degree. Over the next ten years, they had four children, Betsy, Tommy, Carolyn and Jane Ann. After John’s surgical training in Durham, North Carolina, they moved back to Fort Worth, where Jane devoted herself to John, her children, her church and her community. Jane loved cooking, entertaining and volunteering her time to worthy causes, as well as TCU football, Duke Basketball and the Texas Rangers. Jane had the gift of hospitality and made friends everywhere. She was an active member of Women in the Word Bible Study, Junior League of Fort Worth, Canwick, PEO, Medical Dames, Optimistic Investment Club and Delta Delta Delta.

What most remember about Jane though, was the way she lived out her faith, always serving and putting others before herself. She had a deep well of love from which she drew, and expressed it in a multitude of ways, including hosting beautiful Sunday lunches for her large family until she was 89 years old and attending her children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events, no matter the weather, until she could no longer walk to the bleachers. Jane was ever present, cheering everyone on and helping in any way that she was able. She made all people feel special, from the bank tellers at the drive through to the checkers at the grocery store.

Although slowed by age, Jane’s quick wit and sweet, spunky spirit stayed with her to the end, blessing everyone who had the privilege of knowing her. Her life of love, beauty and service blessed us all and we are grateful to God for her life. Jane was 94 at the time of her passing.

She was preceded in death by her parents, James Joseph and Pauline Moorman Coyle and her beloved son, Thomas Wilke Freese, and her son in law, Joe Neal Lacy.

In addition to her husband of 70 years, John Wilke Freese, Jane is survived by her children, Betsy and George Montague, Carolyn and David Roberts and Jane Lacy. She is also survived by her grand and great grandchildren, George and McKenzie Montague, Eloise and Merritt, Matt and Keelie Montague, Hayden and John William, Brook Montague and Ellie Grace, Freese and Kelsey Roberts, Corrie, Lenna and Lilly, John David and Emily Roberts and John David Jr., James Roberts, Wilke Lacy, Grey Lacy, Anna Lacy and Luke Lacy.

A Memorial Service Celebrating Jane’s Life will be held at 2 pm Thursday, December 11, at Christ Chapel Bible Church, 3701 Birchman Avenue.

In lieu of flowers, consideration of contributions to the Tarrant Area Food Bank, tafb.org/donate-main/, Rutledge Cancer Foundation/Patient Fund, rutledgecancerfoundation.org/donate/, Christ Chapel Bible Church/Shepherd’s Purse, ccbcfamily.org/give/ or to a charity of your choice, in her memory, is suggested.

“Strength and dignity are her clothing and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her, her husband also, and he praises her saying; Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Proverbs 31:25-30