Leticia Freihaut

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Back 2 School Illinois, a cause Leticia strongly believed in. Link is below: https://conta.cc/3f3OnD2Leticia Birao Freihaut, passed away on June 6, 2020. She was a strong, smart and beautiful woman with many talents and interests, but she will be remembered most as a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Leticia will be missed deeply by her family both in the United States and in the Philippines and her many friends from work, the Filipino-American community and the Lions Club. She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Bart Freihaut, her son, Christopher Freihaut and his fiancé, Natalia Zuniga, her daughter, Beverly Covey and her husband, Reid and her daughter, Lorraine Tyson and her husband, Lance. She was a loving grandmother to Onyx Freihaut, Brian Covey, Julia Covey, Lance Vicente-James Tyson, Morgan Tyson and Elle Tyson. Leticia was one of 11 children and was very close to her siblings (Flordiriza Birao, Erlinda Bumanlag, Vicente Birao, Jr., Hilda Orongan, Romeo Birao, Voltaire Birao, Sonia Birao Holmes, Dennis Birao, Danilo Birao and Maritess Birao). Born and raised in Bato, Toledo City, Philippines, Leticia’s parents, Atty. Vicente Birao, former Mayor of Toledo City, Cebu and Maxima Sumillo-Birao, an educator, made sure Leticia got the proper education. Following in her mother’s footsteps, she finished her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education at the Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT). She pursued and finished her Master’s Degree in Education in the University of Visayas, Cebu City. Leticia started her teaching career in the United States at the Santa Lucia Catholic School, where she received the Cardinal Bernardin Excellence in Teaching Award. She retired from Chicago Public School’s George Armstrong School of International Studies. She was also a volunteer teacher at the Paaralang Pilipino in Glendale Heights, Illinois.In spite of a teacher’s hectic schedule, Leticia was very active in the Filipino American community in Chicago. She was a former president of the Chicago Manila Lions Club and also a president for two years of the Filipino International Couples Society. She was also president for two years of The Chicago Filipino American Lions Club – District 1-A where she is also a Lion Cabinet Member of the District 1-A in Chicago, Illinois. As a dedicated Lion, she received the Lions Melvin Jones Award (highest award given by Lions International) and the Lions Foundation Fellow Award. As an active leader, Leticia was honored with several awards. In 2004, she helped raise funds for the less fortunate in the Philippines and was given the privilege of being crowned as Mrs. Chicago Philippine Independence by the Philippine Independence Week Committee (PIWC). In 2005, she was honored as one of the Most Outstanding Ladies of the Midwest by the Rhoton Foundation. In 2006, she was chosen as one of the Calendar Moms by the Pilipino American Senior Services (PASS). In 2008, she was inducted to the Asian American Hall of Fame in Community Services by the Fil-Am TV in Chicago. In the same year, she was honored and crowned as the first Mrs. Philippines Mother Earth by the Alliance of Filipino Americans, Inc. (AFAI). The following year, she and her husband Bart Freihaut were honored as one of The Most Outstanding Couples by the Chicago Filipino American Lions Club. She is also the recipient of the 2009-2010 Most Outstanding Mom Award by the Philippine American Cultural Foundation (PACF).When Leticia was not busy chairing fundraising events in different community organizations, she tried to find time to nurture her other passion – dancing. Whether it was folk or ballroom dancing, if Leticia was at the dance event, you can be sure, that her beautiful smile and dance moves would brighten your day. Visitation Thursday from 2:00 to 4:00 P.M. at Cumberland Chapels (FRIEL FUNERAL DIRECTORS) 8300 W. Lawrence Ave., Norridge. Funeral Service 4:00 P.M. Interment Private..