Remembering Michael Freund, Sam Fox School supporter, 86
2026-02-09 • Sam Fox School
Michael Freund, longtime National Council member and supporter of the Sam Fox School, passed away Feb. 3, 2026. He was 86.
Freund was a lifelong St. Louisan with deep ties to the community and WashU. His career included roles at Freund Baking Company, Edison Brothers Stores, Inc., and WashU, where he served as Director of University Special Development Projects for Alumni & Development Programs, a role he held for 20 years.
For more than 35 years, he served as a member of the Sam Fox School National Council, where he offered guidance, support, and friendship to the school community.
Freund was a devoted steward of the Sam Fox School’s Henry L. and Natalie E. Freund Teaching Fellowship, established by his parents in 1986. The annual fellowship brings talented emerging and mid-career artists to teach and work in St. Louis for a semester, with a culminating exhibition at the Saint Louis Art Museum. Freund fostered warm and supportive relationships with these visiting artists, welcoming them to St. Louis, championing their work, and maintaining meaningful friendships. He was also passionate about the Henry L. and Natalie E. Freund Visiting Artist Lecture — established in 2008 — featuring nationally distinguished artists and designers.
Freund is remembered for the incredibly kind and generous spirit he shared with family, friends, and colleagues. Carmon Colangelo, the Ralph J. Nagel Dean of the Sam Fox School, noted that Freund played a special role in his life as a friend, mentor, and advocate for the school. “He had that rare gift of making you feel successful and important… he was a believer in people and institutions, and especially in what could happen when the right people were brought together to meet likeminded goals,” Colangelo said.
A memorial service for Freund will be held Sunday, Feb. 15, at 10:30 a.m. at Temple Emanuel in Creve Coeur. Shiva will be held the same day from 2-6 p.m. at the Ritz-Carlton, Clayton. You can read more about Freund’s life and service in this obituary.