Happy Birthday Marti
Today would have been Marti Frumhoff’s 52nd birthday. Frumhoff, a good friend to many of us, passed on May 16, 2007 (see post).
Two years ago we celebrated our birthdays together — her 50th and my 40th. We’re both Pisces. My birthday is just five days after hers on the 28th.
Marti had a big impact on my life in the last 18 months of hers. She was among the people that convinced me to pursue a Masters degree in Urban Planning at Saint Louis University. We had a course together in the Fall of 2006. In April 2007 Marti was at my house and she forced me into her car — she was going to take me to meet Christopher Thiemet who had recently opened Circa Properties. Circa, she told me, is where I needed to be selling real estate. She was right. She died three weeks later.
I made the move to Circa and I’ll finsh my Masters in December. I will always have Marti to thank for still being an important part of my life.
Her legacy lives on in organizations and events she started such as the Rehabber’s Club and the Big BIG Tour. This year is the 10th year of the Big BIG Tour:
Big BIG Tour, St Louis’ only FREE City-wide tour of for-sale properties will kick off its Tenth Annual Tour on Sunday, March 29 from 10am to 3pm. The starting point is Mullanphy ILC Elementary School, located at 4221 Shaw Boulevard near Missouri Botanical Garden. Mullanphy School is a great central location, allowing attendees to easily explore the Big BIG Tour properties listed throughout the City.
Go out and do something positive for the city today in honor of Marti.
St. Louis lost a big promoter when Marti died. It was my privilege to have known her. I remember fondly her passion for urban issues and preservation. What was truly inspiring was that she did so much and took credit for so little.
Thank you for remembering Marti, she was a good friend to many, and a real booster for social justice and equal rights, city revitalization, and personally. Everything we do is built on what those who have gone before have done.
I bought my current house from Marti, and as it turns out, she is a distant cousin, as well. I heard shortly after her passing that there were plans to name a wedge in Towergrove South after her, and have it decorated in tribute, but I haven’t heard anything about it since. Does anyone know if that came to pass?
Travis, the wedge is at Utah and Morganford…nice sign, sidewalk and landscaping…a nice tribute!