Herma Freitag Houston

Herma Freitag Houston, 89, of Orlando, Florida passed away on February 3, 2023. Herma was born to Catherine G. and Walter J. Freitag on April 25, 1933 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. After graduating from West Chester State Teachers College, now West Chester University, Herma met her husband Willis “Lou” Houston in Orlando, Florida while visiting her brother Skip. It was love at first sight, and Lou and Herma married soon afterward. The couple had three children, Richard, Robert, and Catherine. Herma joyfully and faithfully dedicated her life to her beloved family. She was a devoted and loving wife to her husband and she nurtured her children with gentle strength and grace. She had a quiet and steadfast faith in the Lord, and her children and grandchildren are products of her enduring faith. She will be remembered as a great matriarch of her family who leaves behind a legacy of virtue and good character. Herma was most known for her bright and beautiful smile, which brought much joy to family, friends, and neighbors. Herma was also a gracious competitor on the tennis court, coaching and mentoring many young players while encouraging them to achieve their goals on and off the courts. She loved to be outdoors, and volunteered at Freedom Ride, working with horses and assisting children with special needs in therapeutic equine therapy. She was often seen by her neighbors while walking one of her beloved dogs and wearing her signature smile and joyful spirit. Her greatest pride and joy was spending special time with her six grandchildren, and she felt blessed to have them all grow up within ten minutes of her home. Each of them recall having his or her weekly “special day with Grandmother”. Whether it meant a visit to the Orlando Science Center, to Mead Botanical Gardens, or to Sea World, or if it meant painting on the easel, walking the dogs around the neighborhood, or riding on a carousel pony, Herma had a way of making these special days unforgettable and unique to each precious grandchild. Herma was predeceased by her parents, Catherine and Walter J. Freitag, her husband Willis “Lou” Houston, and her brother Walter “Skip” Freitag. She is survived by her son Richard Michael Houston, daughter-in-law Laura Blue Houston, and grandchildren Molly Blue Houston and Samuel Willis Houston; her son Robert Jacob Houston, daughter-in-law Sandra Althea Houston, and grandchildren Delaney Christine Houston and Sarah Elizabeth Houston; her daughter Catherine Houston Stella, son-in-law David Joseph Stella, and grandchildren Caroline Marie Stella and Emily Anne Stella. Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 2 pm at St. James Catholic Cathedral, 215 N. Orange Avenue, Orlando, Florida 32801. (Livestream of the mass will be available. Please email: catherine.h.stella@gmail.com if you would like to receive the link). The Rite of Committal will be at Greenwood Cemetery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Herma Freitag Houston

April 25, 1933 - February 3, 2023