William Fredrick Freitag

9/14/42 to 5/11/18

William Fredrick Freitag Jr. passed away peacefully, May 11th, 2018, in Orangevale, CA due to complications of Parkinson’s disease. William was born September 14, 1942 in Sacramento, CA; the family living in North Highlands, CA. Growing up in rural Sacramento County, in those days, was a young boy’s dream. Open fields, rolling hills, a bicycle and friends made a perfect place to be a boy. Scouting, camping, river activities filled summers with outdoor entertainment. William graduated from North Highlands High School in June 1960.

William enlisted in the US Navy in the summer of 1961, serving on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Ticonderoga out of Yorktown, Virginia. He was assigned to flight group ordinance. He continued naval service as a reservist in Sacramento County until honorably discharged as an E-4 in 1967.

William married Janet Kielman in 1967. His only child, son Michael, was born in June 1970.

Years later, William married Della Potter Blake in 1996, who he was married to at his passing.

William worked in Home Audio sales and developed a lifelong interest in high fidelity speakers and audio equipment. He also worked for Sacramento County, as a mechanic for B&G Delivery Service and in nationwide furniture delivery. This last job launched his interest in the trucking industry; where he worked for the majority of his career. As a long haul trucker, William delivered loads to most of the nation, expressing his adventurous spirit in the stories of driving through America’s beautiful, wondrous places.

Della accompanied William on several years of his trucking career, taking thousands of pictures of their travels, noting special experiences and locations.

William stood firm on his convictions about life. He believed in our Lord, Jesus Christ, as his personal savior and committed to attend church regularly, most recently at Pioneer Baptist Church in Citrus Heights. He was devoted to prayer and God’s word (the King James Version, especially). and encouraged us to remember to keep the Sabbath Day holy. He believed, strongly, in fundamental church values and principles.

William loved the outdoors, a hold-over from his youth. Camping, hunting, shooting, hiking and especially bicycling. He loved long distance rides to Auburn with other bicycle enthusiast friends as well as watching the Tour de France bicycle races. The injuries from two avoidance bicycle accidents were what accelerated his Parkinsonism, eventually crippling his body and breaking his spirit.

William was preceded in death by his parents William F. Sr. and Faye (Touro) Freitag. He is survived by his wife Della Mae (Potter-Blake) Freitag, former wife Janet (Kielmann) Freitag, son Michael W. (Leticia) Freitag of Tucson, Arizona, (children Alexandra, Juliet and Michael). He will also be greatly missed by Della’s children Mark (Katherine), and Ann (children Elizabeth and Cody).

Chapel service for William will be Monday May 21st at 12 noon, followed by a brief graveside interment and luncheon at Mt. Vernon Mortuary and Memorial Park.