Dorothy Anne Harmeyer

Dorothy Anne Harmeyer (nee Fritsch) died peacefully in the presence of her family on March 15, 2022 at the age of 90. Dorothy is survived by Bill, her loving husband of 60 years, her five children Karen (Herb) Packard, Steve Harmeyer, Meg (Gil) Switala, John (Colleen) Harmeyer, and Greg (Kay) Harmeyer. She is the devoted grandmother (“Mimi”) of Rob (Ashley) and Jenny Packard; Mary, Mitchell, David, and Tommy Switala; Sam, Emma, Greta, and Heidi Harmeyer; and Katie, Will, Mikey, and Kiley Harmeyer. Dorothy is also the dear sister of the Reverend Al Fritsch, SJ of Ravenna, KY; Charlie (Kathy) Fritsch of Newark, OH; Eddie (Christina) Fritsch of Oak Ridge, NJ; Pat Hoover of Bryan, TX; and Frank (Mary) Fritsch of Carmel, CA. She is preceded in death by her parents Mary Elizabeth and Albert Fritsch.
Dorothy grew up in Maysville, Kentucky and was the valedictorian and class president of her graduating class at St. Patrick’s High School. She moved to Cincinnati at the age of 16 to attend Mount St. Joseph College where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English, with a minor in French. She met Bill in 1959 and their first date was at a Reds game. They married in 1961, moved their family to Alomar Drive in 1971, and have been parishioners at Our Lady of Victory ever since. Dorothy and Bill worked to send all five children to school there, as well as to Elder and Seton High Schools.
Dorothy taught us the importance of living honestly and simply, of pride and pleasure in her work, and of living with integrity, faithfulness, and love. She worked diligently for 34 years as a substitute teacher in the Oak Hills School District, retiring from that work at the age of 79. She greatly enjoyed flower gardening, walks around the lake at Delhi Park, history, learning new things, reading, crossword puzzles, Jeopardy, historical films, and a good joke. She will be remembered as an avid Scrabble player, Euchre champion, and ardent traveler. She also enjoyed spending time with family and friends and attending her grandchildren’s sporting and school events. She was known for her warm smile, strong convictions and unwavering devotion to her Catholic faith and her family. She volunteered at Our Lady of Victory with the OLV Food Pantry for many years and she and Bill served couples in Marriage Preparation for 28 years. She was also a generous advocate of Catholic schools, and her life’s mantra was “Keep the faith and pass it on.”
Visitation is Friday March 25th from 4:30 - 7:00 PM at Radel funeral home at 650 Neeb Road, and a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday March 26th at 10:00 AM at Our Lady of Victory Church, 810 Neeb Road. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Our Lady of Victory, 810 Neeb Road, Cincinnati OH 45233 (for the Keep The Faith and Pass It On Scholarship Fund), or to Franciscan Ministry & Mission, 1615 Vine Street, Cincinnati OH 45202.