Jerry A. Freeman

7-6-1931 – 10-6-2022

Pacific Grove, CA

A man of great kindness and integrity, Jerry Freeman, 91, passed away on October 6 from the progression of pulmonary hypertension. Born in South Bend, Indiana to William and Ethel Miller Freeman, Jerry spent idyllic summers at Eagle Lake in Edwardsburg, Michigan: swimming, sailing, canoeing, and working at a nearby golf course. A gifted student-athlete standing 6’4’’ (his nickname was Moose), Jerry played football, basketball and ran track at South Bend Central High School, graduating in 1949. As a student in the Jim Crow era, Jerry saw firsthand the injustice experienced by some of his friends and teammates, and those early experiences formed a man with deep respect and compassion for people of all races and backgrounds.

Jerry attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana as a pre-med student. He joined Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, and along with his rigorous studies he found time to compete in football and track. It was in French class at DePauw that Jerry met the love of his life, Alice Rogers. They married in 1954 and they raised four children and enjoyed 63 years of marriage until Alice’s death in 2018.

Jerry attended Indiana University School of Medicine, served as an intern at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, and completed a two-year residency in anesthesiology at Marion County General Hospital in Indianapolis. Jerry and Alice then moved to Colorado in 1960, where he joined the Scantland Anesthesia Group and practiced at Denver Presbyterian Hospital for 30 years. A kind and compassionate doctor, Jerry was a favorite of the patients, physicians and nurses on staff. With a keen interest in the welfare of others, he had a generous and empathetic spirit, always willing to listen, offer advice and help someone in need.

After building their dream home in Cherry Hills Village in 1969, Jerry and Alice enjoyed a wonderful place for their family to play tennis, ride horses, swim and walk along the High Line Canal Trail, with beautiful views of the Rocky Mountains. They made many treasured friends at the Village Club at Pheasant Ridge and at First Plymouth Congregational Church. After retirement, Jerry became a master wood carver, spending many hours creating beautiful birds that became treasured gifts for family and friends. Jerry and Alice moved to Pacific Grove in 2012 to enjoy life at sea level and live closer to their daughter.

Jerry was preceded in death by his wife Alice and his brothers Phil, William, and James. He is survived by his children Mark Freeman of Durango, CO, Linda Wilsey (David) of Pacific Grove, Andrew Freeman of Soquel, CA and Daniel Freeman of Ward, CO; grandchildren Katy, Laura, Lindsay, Brian, Huxley Anne and Josey; and great-grandchildren Mikaila and Remy.

Donations in memory of Jerry can be made to Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula, 700 Jewel Ave, Pacific Grove, CA 93950.