Fredric Freeman (Fred) was born at home to Robert Freeman, a railway mail clerk, and Mary Boltz, a schoolteacher, in Lansdale, PA, in the fall of 1933. His mother liked the way the actor Fredric March spelled his name, and so started a trend in Fred's later family for slightly different name spellings. Fred grew up in Lansdale with older sister Phyllis, and made lifetime friends with Frank Krimm and Merrill Bishop, with whom he remained in touch with his entire life.
Fred graduated from Penn State with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was hired at IBM and initially worked for them in Endicott, NY. He was offered an opportunity to move to the new IBM location in Colorado, first in Broomfield, CO and finally Boulder, CO, which he jumped at – he had skied in Colorado as a young man and fell in love with the state. Fred worked at IBM until his early retirement in 1991. After retirement, he continued working as a contractor for IBM, and later taking a part-time job at his all-time favorite store, McGuckin's Hardware, in Boulder.
While working in Broomfield, he met Carolyn who was working as a nurse in Denver, at a Young Republicans dance. They quickly fell in love, married, and lived in Denver a short time before moving to Boulder when IBM opened their new (and current) plant just north of Boulder. He and Carolyn welcomed Marc in 1967 and Karin in 1969 into their family; Fred loved being a father and was always proud of both his children. Fred and Carolyn were married for 53 years until her passing in 2019.
Fred was very much a do-it-yourself person. He had an innate sense of how to do things and do them well. He designed and built porches on the family's two houses while living in Boulder and tackled most of the typical home projects himself. Son Marc would buy broken items at garage sales and Fred would try to help him fix them (if possible), but at least provide understanding how the devices were supposed to work. Fred did much of the work on the family cars in the 1970s and 80s. In hindsight, some of the upgrades he did before the internet were amazing; he was able to engineer the problem and develop a solution. He encouraged his kids to be independent and think critically, and to develop their own solutions to any kind of problem they encountered. Fredric was a man of integrity. If he said he'd do something, he'd do it. His word was gold. Fred assisted others whenever needed or asked, and as a good friend and longtime Boulder neighbor said, "he solved so many handyman projects for me; his willingness to help was so appreciated. Every job he did was perfect." So many others have commented on what a kind and gentle man he was, and how he will be missed by all who knew him.
Fredric loved and provided for his family. The young children would wait at the window for his daily return from work, and the family would eat dinner together every night at 5:30 sharp. Friday nights the family would eat out at a restaurant, and then go to a new park in Boulder where the kids could play on a different playground each week. I don't think we knew there were so many parks! Later, Fred spent years perfecting his pancake recipe, and treated Carolyn and any visiting children, friends, or relatives to his masterpieces every Sunday, as he watched his beloved CBS Sunday Morning program. He also was constantly captivated by the scientific and nature programming on PBS and listened devotedly to his local National Public Radio station, especially on weekends.
Fred was a quietly peaceful man. He didn't overtly espouse this belief, but he lived it and taught it to his children. Marc was not allowed to have toy guns and Karin never wanted them. We never heard him say anything negative about another person. Vary rarely he might criticize an ideal or organization, but never a person. He was also a generous man, donating to public TV, radio, and environmental and social organizations until the week he passed.
Fred loved the outdoors, the mountains, and camping and hiking, and took the family camping to many different national parks during vacations. From canvas tents, to pop-up campers and then motor homes, he shared his passion with Carolyn and the kids. As a result, his kids learned a respect and appreciation of nature. He instilled a sense of "leave no trace" by encouraging his kids to clean up campsites, even if the trash wasn't theirs. In later years, he would reserve fall camp spots in Rocky Mountain National Park, inviting his children and their significant others to join he and Carolyn camping, hiking, and enjoying the daily elk bugling event each evening in Moraine Park. And yes, he continued skiing his beloved Colorado slopes until his mid-70's.
Fred passed peacefully in his sleep just days after celebrating his 87th birthday with his children. In the week before his passing, his nephew, Ken, happened to be in town and Fred, Ken, Karin, Lydia and Marc all went to Rocky Mountain National Park and drove to the top of Trail Ridge Road on a beautiful fall day filled with changing aspen color and beautiful mountain scenery. We saw moose and elk and watched and heard the evening display of elk bugling. Fred left this world after a good week of family and nature – both things he loved. He will be fondly remembered and sincerely missed by many.
Fred is survived by his son, Marc, and wife Lydia Baldwin (Fort Collins, CO); daughter Karin (Pagosa Springs, CO); nieces Janet (Leonard) Bond (Iowa City, IA) and Susanne Knapp (Maupin, OR) and nephew Kennon Stevens (Susan) (Port Orford, OR); and many other friends and relatives who will miss his quiet, thoughtful, and kind nature. He was preceded in death by his dear wife Carolyn only 11 months prior; his much-admired sister Phyllis in 1965; his brother Richard who died in childbirth; and both parents.
Fred did not wish to have a funeral or a memorial service, but please take a moment to go into nature and remember he and Carolyn in your own way; even a moment on a porch looking at the moon would be something they both would have appreciated. He and Carolyn are buried together in the shadow of the Flatirons, at Green Mountain Cemetery, in Boulder, Colorado.
Fred graduated from Penn State with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was hired at IBM and initially worked for them in Endicott, NY. He was offered an opportunity to move to the new IBM location in Colorado, first in Broomfield, CO and finally Boulder, CO, which he jumped at – he had skied in Colorado as a young man and fell in love with the state. Fred worked at IBM until his early retirement in 1991. After retirement, he continued working as a contractor for IBM, and later taking a part-time job at his all-time favorite store, McGuckin's Hardware, in Boulder.
While working in Broomfield, he met Carolyn who was working as a nurse in Denver, at a Young Republicans dance. They quickly fell in love, married, and lived in Denver a short time before moving to Boulder when IBM opened their new (and current) plant just north of Boulder. He and Carolyn welcomed Marc in 1967 and Karin in 1969 into their family; Fred loved being a father and was always proud of both his children. Fred and Carolyn were married for 53 years until her passing in 2019.
Fred was very much a do-it-yourself person. He had an innate sense of how to do things and do them well. He designed and built porches on the family's two houses while living in Boulder and tackled most of the typical home projects himself. Son Marc would buy broken items at garage sales and Fred would try to help him fix them (if possible), but at least provide understanding how the devices were supposed to work. Fred did much of the work on the family cars in the 1970s and 80s. In hindsight, some of the upgrades he did before the internet were amazing; he was able to engineer the problem and develop a solution. He encouraged his kids to be independent and think critically, and to develop their own solutions to any kind of problem they encountered. Fredric was a man of integrity. If he said he'd do something, he'd do it. His word was gold. Fred assisted others whenever needed or asked, and as a good friend and longtime Boulder neighbor said, "he solved so many handyman projects for me; his willingness to help was so appreciated. Every job he did was perfect." So many others have commented on what a kind and gentle man he was, and how he will be missed by all who knew him.
Fredric loved and provided for his family. The young children would wait at the window for his daily return from work, and the family would eat dinner together every night at 5:30 sharp. Friday nights the family would eat out at a restaurant, and then go to a new park in Boulder where the kids could play on a different playground each week. I don't think we knew there were so many parks! Later, Fred spent years perfecting his pancake recipe, and treated Carolyn and any visiting children, friends, or relatives to his masterpieces every Sunday, as he watched his beloved CBS Sunday Morning program. He also was constantly captivated by the scientific and nature programming on PBS and listened devotedly to his local National Public Radio station, especially on weekends.
Fred was a quietly peaceful man. He didn't overtly espouse this belief, but he lived it and taught it to his children. Marc was not allowed to have toy guns and Karin never wanted them. We never heard him say anything negative about another person. Vary rarely he might criticize an ideal or organization, but never a person. He was also a generous man, donating to public TV, radio, and environmental and social organizations until the week he passed.
Fred loved the outdoors, the mountains, and camping and hiking, and took the family camping to many different national parks during vacations. From canvas tents, to pop-up campers and then motor homes, he shared his passion with Carolyn and the kids. As a result, his kids learned a respect and appreciation of nature. He instilled a sense of "leave no trace" by encouraging his kids to clean up campsites, even if the trash wasn't theirs. In later years, he would reserve fall camp spots in Rocky Mountain National Park, inviting his children and their significant others to join he and Carolyn camping, hiking, and enjoying the daily elk bugling event each evening in Moraine Park. And yes, he continued skiing his beloved Colorado slopes until his mid-70's.
Fred passed peacefully in his sleep just days after celebrating his 87th birthday with his children. In the week before his passing, his nephew, Ken, happened to be in town and Fred, Ken, Karin, Lydia and Marc all went to Rocky Mountain National Park and drove to the top of Trail Ridge Road on a beautiful fall day filled with changing aspen color and beautiful mountain scenery. We saw moose and elk and watched and heard the evening display of elk bugling. Fred left this world after a good week of family and nature – both things he loved. He will be fondly remembered and sincerely missed by many.
Fred is survived by his son, Marc, and wife Lydia Baldwin (Fort Collins, CO); daughter Karin (Pagosa Springs, CO); nieces Janet (Leonard) Bond (Iowa City, IA) and Susanne Knapp (Maupin, OR) and nephew Kennon Stevens (Susan) (Port Orford, OR); and many other friends and relatives who will miss his quiet, thoughtful, and kind nature. He was preceded in death by his dear wife Carolyn only 11 months prior; his much-admired sister Phyllis in 1965; his brother Richard who died in childbirth; and both parents.
Fred did not wish to have a funeral or a memorial service, but please take a moment to go into nature and remember he and Carolyn in your own way; even a moment on a porch looking at the moon would be something they both would have appreciated. He and Carolyn are buried together in the shadow of the Flatirons, at Green Mountain Cemetery, in Boulder, Colorado.
Fredric Freeman (Fred) was born at home to Robert Freeman, a railway mail clerk, and Mary Boltz, a schoolteacher, in Lansdale, PA, in the fall of 1933. His mother liked the way the actor Fredric March spelled his name, and so started a trend in Fred's later family for slightly different name spellings. Fred grew up in Lansdale with older sister Phyllis, and made lifetime friends with Frank Krimm and Merrill Bishop, with whom he remained in touch with his entire life.
Fred graduated from Penn State with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was hired at IBM and initially worked for them in Endicott, NY. He was offered an opportunity to move to the new IBM location in Colorado, first in Broomfield, CO and finally Boulder, CO, which he jumped at – he had skied in Colorado as a young man and fell in love with the state. Fred worked at IBM until his early retirement in 1991. After retirement, he continued working as a contractor for IBM, and later taking a part-time job at his all-time favorite store, McGuckin's Hardware, in Boulder.
While working in Broomfield, he met Carolyn who was working as a nurse in Denver, at a Young Republicans dance. They quickly fell in love, married, and lived in Denver a short time before moving to Boulder when IBM opened their new (and current) plant just north of Boulder. He and Carolyn welcomed Marc in 1967 and Karin in 1969 into their family; Fred loved being a father and was always proud of both his children. Fred and Carolyn were married for 53 years until her passing in 2019.
Fred was very much a do-it-yourself person. He had an innate sense of how to do things and do them well. He designed and built porches on the family's two houses while living in Boulder and tackled most of the typical home projects himself. Son Marc would buy broken items at garage sales and Fred would try to help him fix them (if possible), but at least provide understanding how the devices were supposed to work. Fred did much of the work on the family cars in the 1970s and 80s. In hindsight, some of the upgrades he did before the internet were amazing; he was able to engineer the problem and develop a solution. He encouraged his kids to be independent and think critically, and to develop their own solutions to any kind of problem they encountered. Fredric was a man of integrity. If he said he'd do something, he'd do it. His word was gold. Fred assisted others whenever needed or asked, and as a good friend and longtime Boulder neighbor said, "he solved so many handyman projects for me; his willingness to help was so appreciated. Every job he did was perfect." So many others have commented on what a kind and gentle man he was, and how he will be missed by all who knew him.
Fredric loved and provided for his family. The young children would wait at the window for his daily return from work, and the family would eat dinner together every night at 5:30 sharp. Friday nights the family would eat out at a restaurant, and then go to a new park in Boulder where the kids could play on a different playground each week. I don't think we knew there were so many parks! Later, Fred spent years perfecting his pancake recipe, and treated Carolyn and any visiting children, friends, or relatives to his masterpieces every Sunday, as he watched his beloved CBS Sunday Morning program. He also was constantly captivated by the scientific and nature programming on PBS and listened devotedly to his local National Public Radio station, especially on weekends.
Fred was a quietly peaceful man. He didn't overtly espouse this belief, but he lived it and taught it to his children. Marc was not allowed to have toy guns and Karin never wanted them. We never heard him say anything negative about another person. Vary rarely he might criticize an ideal or organization, but never a person. He was also a generous man, donating to public TV, radio, and environmental and social organizations until the week he passed.
Fred loved the outdoors, the mountains, and camping and hiking, and took the family camping to many different national parks during vacations. From canvas tents, to pop-up campers and then motor homes, he shared his passion with Carolyn and the kids. As a result, his kids learned a respect and appreciation of nature. He instilled a sense of "leave no trace" by encouraging his kids to clean up campsites, even if the trash wasn't theirs. In later years, he would reserve fall camp spots in Rocky Mountain National Park, inviting his children and their significant others to join he and Carolyn camping, hiking, and enjoying the daily elk bugling event each evening in Moraine Park. And yes, he continued skiing his beloved Colorado slopes until his mid-70's.
Fred passed peacefully in his sleep just days after celebrating his 87th birthday with his children. In the week before his passing, his nephew, Ken, happened to be in town and Fred, Ken, Karin, Lydia and Marc all went to Rocky Mountain National Park and drove to the top of Trail Ridge Road on a beautiful fall day filled with changing aspen color and beautiful mountain scenery. We saw moose and elk and watched and heard the evening display of elk bugling. Fred left this world after a good week of family and nature – both things he loved. He will be fondly remembered and sincerely missed by many.
Fred is survived by his son, Marc, and wife Lydia Baldwin (Fort Collins, CO); daughter Karin (Pagosa Springs, CO); nieces Janet (Leonard) Bond (Iowa City, IA) and Susanne Knapp (Maupin, OR) and nephew Kennon Stevens (Susan) (Port Orford, OR); and many other friends and relatives who will miss his quiet, thoughtful, and kind nature. He was preceded in death by his dear wife Carolyn only 11 months prior; his much-admired sister Phyllis in 1965; his brother Richard who died in childbirth; and both parents.
Fred did not wish to have a funeral or a memorial service, but please take a moment to go into nature and remember he and Carolyn in your own way; even a moment on a porch looking at the moon would be something they both would have appreciated. He and Carolyn are buried together in the shadow of the Flatirons, at Green Mountain Cemetery, in Boulder, Colorado.
Fred graduated from Penn State with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was hired at IBM and initially worked for them in Endicott, NY. He was offered an opportunity to move to the new IBM location in Colorado, first in Broomfield, CO and finally Boulder, CO, which he jumped at – he had skied in Colorado as a young man and fell in love with the state. Fred worked at IBM until his early retirement in 1991. After retirement, he continued working as a contractor for IBM, and later taking a part-time job at his all-time favorite store, McGuckin's Hardware, in Boulder.
While working in Broomfield, he met Carolyn who was working as a nurse in Denver, at a Young Republicans dance. They quickly fell in love, married, and lived in Denver a short time before moving to Boulder when IBM opened their new (and current) plant just north of Boulder. He and Carolyn welcomed Marc in 1967 and Karin in 1969 into their family; Fred loved being a father and was always proud of both his children. Fred and Carolyn were married for 53 years until her passing in 2019.
Fred was very much a do-it-yourself person. He had an innate sense of how to do things and do them well. He designed and built porches on the family's two houses while living in Boulder and tackled most of the typical home projects himself. Son Marc would buy broken items at garage sales and Fred would try to help him fix them (if possible), but at least provide understanding how the devices were supposed to work. Fred did much of the work on the family cars in the 1970s and 80s. In hindsight, some of the upgrades he did before the internet were amazing; he was able to engineer the problem and develop a solution. He encouraged his kids to be independent and think critically, and to develop their own solutions to any kind of problem they encountered. Fredric was a man of integrity. If he said he'd do something, he'd do it. His word was gold. Fred assisted others whenever needed or asked, and as a good friend and longtime Boulder neighbor said, "he solved so many handyman projects for me; his willingness to help was so appreciated. Every job he did was perfect." So many others have commented on what a kind and gentle man he was, and how he will be missed by all who knew him.
Fredric loved and provided for his family. The young children would wait at the window for his daily return from work, and the family would eat dinner together every night at 5:30 sharp. Friday nights the family would eat out at a restaurant, and then go to a new park in Boulder where the kids could play on a different playground each week. I don't think we knew there were so many parks! Later, Fred spent years perfecting his pancake recipe, and treated Carolyn and any visiting children, friends, or relatives to his masterpieces every Sunday, as he watched his beloved CBS Sunday Morning program. He also was constantly captivated by the scientific and nature programming on PBS and listened devotedly to his local National Public Radio station, especially on weekends.
Fred was a quietly peaceful man. He didn't overtly espouse this belief, but he lived it and taught it to his children. Marc was not allowed to have toy guns and Karin never wanted them. We never heard him say anything negative about another person. Vary rarely he might criticize an ideal or organization, but never a person. He was also a generous man, donating to public TV, radio, and environmental and social organizations until the week he passed.
Fred loved the outdoors, the mountains, and camping and hiking, and took the family camping to many different national parks during vacations. From canvas tents, to pop-up campers and then motor homes, he shared his passion with Carolyn and the kids. As a result, his kids learned a respect and appreciation of nature. He instilled a sense of "leave no trace" by encouraging his kids to clean up campsites, even if the trash wasn't theirs. In later years, he would reserve fall camp spots in Rocky Mountain National Park, inviting his children and their significant others to join he and Carolyn camping, hiking, and enjoying the daily elk bugling event each evening in Moraine Park. And yes, he continued skiing his beloved Colorado slopes until his mid-70's.
Fred passed peacefully in his sleep just days after celebrating his 87th birthday with his children. In the week before his passing, his nephew, Ken, happened to be in town and Fred, Ken, Karin, Lydia and Marc all went to Rocky Mountain National Park and drove to the top of Trail Ridge Road on a beautiful fall day filled with changing aspen color and beautiful mountain scenery. We saw moose and elk and watched and heard the evening display of elk bugling. Fred left this world after a good week of family and nature – both things he loved. He will be fondly remembered and sincerely missed by many.
Fred is survived by his son, Marc, and wife Lydia Baldwin (Fort Collins, CO); daughter Karin (Pagosa Springs, CO); nieces Janet (Leonard) Bond (Iowa City, IA) and Susanne Knapp (Maupin, OR) and nephew Kennon Stevens (Susan) (Port Orford, OR); and many other friends and relatives who will miss his quiet, thoughtful, and kind nature. He was preceded in death by his dear wife Carolyn only 11 months prior; his much-admired sister Phyllis in 1965; his brother Richard who died in childbirth; and both parents.
Fred did not wish to have a funeral or a memorial service, but please take a moment to go into nature and remember he and Carolyn in your own way; even a moment on a porch looking at the moon would be something they both would have appreciated. He and Carolyn are buried together in the shadow of the Flatirons, at Green Mountain Cemetery, in Boulder, Colorado.
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