Samuel R. Freeman, a respected attorney, vice president of the Denver Rio Grande Railroad and past president of Bnai Brith, passed away Aug. 28, 2009, in Denver. His daughter, Rabbi Susan Freeman of La Jolla, Calif., officiated at the service held Aug. 30 at Feldman Chapel.
Interment followed at Emanuel Cemetery. Feldman Mortuary made the arrangements.
He was the patriarch and namesake of the term to be a Freeman, which is exhibiting intense curiosity about the lives of other people, his granddaughter Anna said at the service.
While some may interpret this as being nosey, gossipy or intrusive, in Papas case it was truly full-blown caring and a desire to understand.
A few weeks ago, at a family dinner celebrating his upcoming 80th birthday, his words of wisdom were, If youre going to try, try to win, Anna said. This applies very much to how he lived his life.
Mr. Freeman taught his family to look at the big picture and to look at things from all sides, Anna said.
He would often tell me that in order to understand what you believe in, you must understand the other side first. You must take the time to learn about all sides, and all perspectives. This is what a Freeman does.
Mr. Freeman was born Sept. 2, 1929, in New York City. He spent his childhood in Brooklyn.
He attended Syracuse University, City College of New York and Brooklyn Law School, and moved to Denver in 1953.
Mr. Freeman began his legal career as an attorney in the Colorado Attorney Generals office and later became managing partner for the law firm of Van Cise, Freeman.
He married Joyce Siegel on Dec. 21, 1958.
Mr. Freeman was recruited as vice president of the Denver Rio Grande. After taking early retirement, he became vice chairman of Concord, an international conglomerate.
Upon retiring from Concord, he chaired the Denver Research Institute at DU.
Always active in the Denver community, Mr. Freeman was chairman of the Colorado Oil & Gas Commission, vice chair of the Interstate Oil Compact and president of Bnai Brith Denver.
A member of the CU Health Sciences Center bioethics committee, he was on the boards of Volunteers of America, Goodwill Industries, the State of Colorado Municipal Bond board, the Denver Citizens Oversight board, SCORE, and the National Jewish Research and Medical Centers ethics committee.
As mayor pro tem of Dillon, Colorado, Mr. Freeman was instrumental in annexing the Dillon Reservoir peninsula from the Denver Water Board so it could continue as a public recreational site.
Mr. Freeman and his wife traveled to over 80 countries, attended shows and symphonies, and enjoyed discussing politics, current events and their large family.
He is survived by his wife Joyce Freeman; daughters Laura (the late William) Michaels, Rabbi Susan (Rabbi Philip Graubart) Freeman and Carol (Julius Smith) Freeman; grandchildren Anna, Grace and Henry Michaels, Ben and Ilan Graubart and Harrison Smith; and sister Miriam Blickman of North Carolina.
Contributions may be made to the charity of choice.
