John Norman Freeborn

July 24, 1930 - February 16, 2015

John Norman Freeborn constantly sought adventure and was blessed with a brilliant, vibrant, and creative mind. He was the son of Switzer Gardner Freeborn - an officer in the Canadian Expeditionary Force of World War I - and his loving mother Annie Violet. John enjoyed hunting and ranching with his father in Alberta and loved taking his sons hunting in Montana and Washington. He was a gifted artist in any medium including but not limited to drawing, painting, and 35 mm photography; he produced advertisements in national campaigns for Hodaka Motorcycles, Arctic Circle Restaurants, and many local media outlets. John wrote and illustrated a book called Please Pass the Buck and was widely considered a Renaissance Man by his contemporaries.

Dad graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Graphic Arts, where he played for the university's baseball team. A lover of sports and athletics, he also played semi-pro hockey in Calgary. While attending UW he fell in love with and married Bernice McBride. When John accepted the position of Director of Graphic Arts at KIMA TV the couple moved to Selah and started a family. They enjoyed traveling while raising their two children Steve and Gail. Dad, a student of American history, became a U.S. citizen. Bernice Freeborn was a devoted mother and passed to heaven in 1968.

Dad fell in love with Arlene Hoffman and after the two married they moved to the Wenas in order to pursue John's dream of building a hobby ranch and expanding his collection of classic Ford Mustangs. They later moved to Clayton, back to Selah, and then settled in Moses Lake.

John's creative talents led him to establish his own business in the successful Freeborn Graphic Arts. He provided work for KSPS-TV in Spokane, American Sign and Indicator, and was a Graphics Arts instructor at Perry Tech. We are very proud and grateful of his lasting legacy.

John was passionate about coaching the Partlow Silvers T-Ball team, and enjoyed helping with Little League games. He was a big game hunter and hiking enthusiast, often taking trips to the Rocky and Cascade Mountains. Arlene and John found enjoyment in water skiing, muzzle loading with friend Doc Savage, and vacationing in Hawaii. John's unique sense of humor, his endearing personality, his brave spirit, optimistic ambition, and his enduring Christian faith encouraged all who loved him - especially his numerous grandchildren.

He loved and cared for us, serving as an inspiring role model for endurance and bravery. John rarely complained and was loved by his large families in Selah, Moses Lake, and Canada. He will be especially missed by his loyal friends that he made through his faith.

We all believe our beloved Dad is now free, currently sharing his God-given talents of art and friendship in heaven. He was loved and respected by all who had the privilege to know him. We especially thank the many doctors, nurses, and medical professionals who cared for him these last few years. We will always love Dad and trust that we will see him again in heaven. He was a devoted member of Peace Lutheran Church in Selah, and the Assembly at Moses Lake.

Survivors include his loving faithful wife Arlene Freeborn, his brothers Jim and Bruce Freeborn, children: John Steven Freeborn (Kathy), Gail Yaden (Mark), Diana Moss (Greg), Steven Hoffman (Debi), Candy MacDonald (Danny); and a multitude of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at the Assembly at Moses Lake located at 431 E. Brown Avenue, Moses Lake, WA 98837. The service will take place at 1:00 pm on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. Please sign the online guestbook or leave a note for the family at www.kayserschapel.com. Arrangements are in care of Kayser's Chapel & Crematory.