Lt Col Aaron Michael Frey

COVID NOTE:  A few guests who planned to attend the services have tested positive for Covid and will not be attending.  Out of respect for those who are at high risk, and especially if you have traveled from out-of-state, we recommend that you wear a mask and social distance.  Per the CDC, it is advised that vaccinated and unvaccinated people mask indoors in areas with significant community spread.  Masks and hand sanitizer will be provided if you don’t bring your own.  If you have recently been exposed, or are feeling ill, you are encouraged to watch the live stream of the services.

Lt. Col. Aaron Michael Frey was taken from us too soon on July 5 in a tragic automobile accident. He is survived by his wife, Jenelle Bolesta Frey, and five-year-old twins, James and Madeleine; mother and step-father Jane Davidson Sheehan and Larry Sheehan of Denver, Colorado; father and step-mother Claude and Elizabeth Frey of Scottsdale, Arizona; and Ms. Helen Davidson of Houston,Texas and Louis Frey of Houston Texas. He will also be missed by his brother Dan Frey of Burbank, California and sister Jenny Frey of Phoenix, Arizona. He was predeceased by his maternal grandfather, John B. Davidson, and his paternal grandmother, Rosie Frey, as well as his uncle, Roger Frey.

He chose a life of service to his country and lived with joy and purpose.

Aaron was born on July 1, 1979, in Houston, Texas. He grew up in Evergreen, Colorado and graduated from Mullen High School in 1998, where he pole vaulted and earned the title of state tennis champion. He spent his weekends on the ski slopes at Vail and Jackson Hole and earned the nickname “Action Jackson.”

After high school, he attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in aerospace engineering in 2002 and 2003. In college, he designed a Mars greenhouse that was later sold to NASA.

While at CU, Aaron met the love of his life, Jenelle Bolesta, a 1997 graduate of Thompson Valley High School in Loveland, CO. They enjoyed summiting fourteen-thousand-foot-peaks in the Rocky Mountains, backpacking and skiing as a couple and with friends.

Upon graduation, Aaron took a job designing satellites for SEAKR Engineering in Denver, CO. Despite his success, he felt a higher calling to serve his country as an officer and aviator in the United States Marine Corps in 2004.

After he completed his flight training and earned his wings as an AV-8B (Harrier) jet pilot, Aaron and Jenelle married at Our Lady of the Snow Catholic Church in Granby, Colorado on March 16,  2008. Shortly after, they moved to Yuma, AZ, where Aaron flew for the historic VMA-214 Black Sheep Squadron and VMA-513. He was deployed to Afghanistan twice, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, where he flew over 400 combat hours. Upon return, he earned the highest Marine Corps aviator qualification, Weapons and Tactics Instructor.

Out of recognition of his outstanding record, he was honored to be selected to attend the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California as the only Marine pilot of TPS Class 12B. He then flew test flights for the AV-8B Harrier and F-18 Super Hornet with the VX-31 Dust Devils at China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station in Ridgecrest, California. He was awarded the Jack Northrop Award by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots for his outstanding work. He quickly became the lead AV-8B test pilot in the Marine Corps. During this time, Aaron and Jenelle welcomed two wonderful children (twins) into the world, which was officially the beginning of the notorious dad jokes he loved to tell at work.

In September 2016, he was sent back to Edwards Air Force Base to fly all three variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in operational test for the 461st Flight Test Squadron. In November 2017, Aaron transitioned to operational test for the Marine Corps with VMX-1 Det Edwards to execute F-35B operational test. He was entrusted with all F-35B operational test as the Detachment Officer In Charge.  Aaron loved leading his marines, and he always met any daunting task with a huge smile on his face.

In May of 2020, Aaron transitioned from the Marine Corps to the USAF Reserves as a full-time active duty test pilot with the 370th Flight Test Squadron. Looking to pass his unmatched knowledge of flight test on to the next generation, Aaron became an F-16 instructor at the USAF Test Pilot School in Edwards, becoming a favorite instructor among the student pilots and engineers. In all, his military career spanned 17 years of service.

Loyal to God and his country, Aaron was a faithful and loving husband, father, son, grandson, friend, wingman, warrior and talented aviator. He enjoyed cooking/baking, downhill skiing and cycling and spending time with his family. He loved making Saturday morning pancakes for his children and coached them in downhill skiing, soccer and tennis. One year in Ridgecrest, he raised a brace of turkeys for each Harrier pilot and distributed them during Thanksgiving week.

Faith was important to Aaron, and he was actively involved in his local parish, Our Lady of the Desert in Ridgecrest, CA, where he served as a Eucharistic Minister, was active in a men's group and sponsored Jenelle in her confirmation. 

Aaron had a sunny disposition, and his smile was omnipresent and could light up a room.  He was unflinchingly kind and positive and will be dearly missed by all.

A funeral mass will be held on Aug. 2 at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 6853 S. Prince St., Littleton, Colorado. A burial service with military honors and fly-over will follow at 12:00 Noon at Ft. Logan National Cemetery, Staging area "A".

For those unable to attend Aaron's Funeral Mass, you may are encouraged to watch a live stream of the service which will be posted here 10-15 minutes prior to the beginning of the service.

Donations for flowers for the celebration of life can be made by contacting Shelley at sfredricey@gmail.com

For a an updated funeral agenda please follow this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O8MkEorG_5UNEupqrUHEGezWBDT82sIVeJwjqOcLNsY/

COVID NOTE:  A few guests who planned to attend the services have tested positive for Covid and will not be attending.  Out of respect for those who are at high risk, and especially if you have traveled from out-of-state, we recommend that you wear a mask and social distance.  Per the CDC, it is advised that vaccinated and unvaccinated people mask indoors in areas with significant community spread.  Masks and hand sanitizer will be provided if you don’t bring your own. 

If you have recently been exposed, or are feeling ill, you are encouraged to watch the live stream of the services, click here to watch live stream: https://youtu.be/kYfxHc_dubs

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Lt Col Aaron Michael Frey, please visit our floral store.