May 2nd, 2019 - Oxford, Ohio: Gregg Friberg, Washington State ’50, entered the chapter eternal on March 14th, 2019, in Puyallup, Washington.
His obituary read, “Wm. Gregg Friberg Gregg was a man of simple pleasures. He loved his family, strawberry milkshakes, rhubarb pie, a balanced checkbook, the football season, and a vodka on the rocks at precisely 5pm sharp. He believed in organization, hard work, and saving money.”
Gregg was born on March 2nd, 1931 and grew up in Tacoma. In high school he was an All-City, All-State football player. Before college he spent seven months in the Bering Sea fishing for the “deadliest catch.” He was starting linebacker for the Cougars throughout his entire college career at Washington State College. In addition to being a member of Phi Tau he was a part of the WSU Alumni Association, President of Scabbard and Blade, and was a cadet Colonel for ROTC.
He married his college sweetheart in 1952, Lorraine Rentsch. Greg served in the military at Ft. Benning, GA, where he was Tank Company Commander and earned the Expert Infantry Badge. He was eventually promoted to Captain.
Following his time in the military Gregg and Lorraine returned to Washington where Gregg took a job as a teacher and coach in the Tacoma school district. He taught at the Junior High for 5 years before becoming the first football coach in 1961. Following that he became the school’s athletic director, a position he held until his retirement in 1984. He was inducted into the Tacoma-Pierce County Athletic Hall of Fame (football) in 2009.
After retiring, Gregg and Lorraine spent their time traveling the world. Gregg also took to raising homing pigeons, a boyhood hobby, and was a World War II history buff.
He is survived by Lorraine, their three children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
#ManofDistinction