Hildegard (Frech) Fassnacht

Hildegard (Frech) Fassnacht, 92, of Nobleton passed away peacefully on April 15, 2025 after complications following a fall.

The first daughter of Rosa (nee Kämmerer) and Ottmar Frech, Hilde was born in Südpfalz, Germany in 1932. Anneliese and Brigitte were Hilde’s younger sisters as well as loyal co-conspirators, fellow hikers, and dearest friends throughout their lives. Hilde attended school in Schaidt through the 8th grade while also working at the local bakery, then, for their safety during WW2, she and Brigitte moved to Münchweiler with their grandparents and began to work at a shoe factory.

Following the war, Hilde met her future husband, Karl-Heinz Fassnacht, at a dance. The two courted and she eventually emigrated to Canada to join him, both starting from scratch with nearly nothing in their pockets. Their married life began in Toronto. After a short stint in New York City where they both worked as household staff, they returned to Toronto, eventually welcoming son Harold. Soon the young family settled in Nobleton where they added another son, Steven. Hilde and Karl-Heinz spent nearly six decades together in their Nobleton home raising their children, tending a fine garden, growing trees, caring for rabbits, and entertaining friends sharing stories and German folk songs.

For much of her working years, Hilde took night classes for English and Accounting and became a bookkeeper—capitalizing on her sharp acumen for numbers. Always noticing patterns in phone numbers and dates, and committing them to memory, she naturally took on the role of an unofficial family historian. Can’t recall when a family member was born, wed, died, or visited Canada, Hilde could tell you. How much was a gallon of gas on a road trip to California in 1960? Hilde knew that too. Wondering which year Nobleton was buried under snow in a heavy April blizzard? Hilde was your resource.

Throughout their lives together, she and Karl Heinz enjoyed their deep connections through the German Club, trips to warm beaches especially in Barbados, Florida, Antigua, and Cuba when they needed respite from winter, and frequent travels to their homeland of Germany to visit their family and dear old friends. Wherever they went, they met new friends. At the Fassnacht house, Hilde was quick to put on a pot of coffee or tea and cut a cake with visitors.

While her daughter-in-law Christina fought cancer, and during the grief-filled time following Christina’s death, Hilde showed up to quietly support, providing meals and hands-on help with her two young grandsons.

Hilde happily remained physically active into her 80s with brisk walks around town, bicycle rides to the post office, tending to their large backyard garden, and hiking with sisters in the hills of Südpfalz whenever she returned to Germany.

Hilde is survived by her two sons Harold (and Rachel Friesen) of Kingston and Steven (and Nicole, nee Wilgenbusch) of Fort Collins, Colorado; her three grandchildren Christian (and Lara Hintelman) of Peterborough, Liam (and Jesse Heikert) of Bracebridge, and Julia (and Arshiya Hossain) of Kingston, and two great grandchildren Christina and Sara. Preceding her in death were her husband Karl-Heinz, her parents, sisters and brothers in law, half sister Louise, and daughter in law Christina Currie.

An open house celebration of life will be held in Hilde’s honor on Saturday, June 21st from 2:00–4:00 PM (tributes at 3:00 PM) at the Nobleton Community Park picnic shelter.

Condolences for the family may be offered at www.EganFuneralHome.com