Robert Dean Freeman 8-21-24

June 6, 1939 – August 13, 2024
A joyful reunion, 23 months in the waiting, was celebrated Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, as Bob and Janice (Sweet Pea) celebrated his arrival in heavenly Paradise. His son Rocky Dean, and parents Lawrence and Averl Freeman, also greeted him.
Bob’s adventurous life began on June 6, 1939 in Boise, ID, which became a heroic date in 1944 known as D-Day, a day he always revered and reminded his family of, neither of which will be forgotten.
As the middle child born between two brothers Gary (Skip) and John (Gus), his youth was full of rural life shenanigans and adventure. One of which changed his life forever, as he and his buddies at age 15, on March 3, 1954, put together a pipe bomb. As he was fitting a cap on the end of the device in the hardware store, a few grains of gunpowder in the threads ignited, taking his left hand off and blowing shrapnel into his shoulder. This would be the catalyst for proving he could do anything with one hand that would take most people two. He continued to play football and basketball, hunt, and even do mechanical work. “Can’t is someone too lazy to try.” was his mantra.
His handsome smile and wavy brown hair were certain bait, to lure in Janice Mae Ralphs, a childhood sweetheart. On Aug. 22, 1958, they sealed their love in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple. Their eternal family began with five children (Rocky, Danese, Pauline, Kent, and Lance), who brought much growth, pride, and joy to their lives.
Bob graduated from BYU and began his teaching and administration career in Firth, ID, in 1961. From there he took his family to Grace, ID, where he continued teaching from 1966-1971. He got his first snowmachine there and loved venturing into the mountains.
Firth High took him and his family back in 1971, where he would finish out his teaching career. Though he took a short hiatus to fulfill his dream of owning a business. He and his business partner, Boyd Jolley, created B & B Texaco. He loved working on vehicles and was very good at it. The security of a steady paycheck ended that venture and put him back in the teaching arena. He was a teacher who set high expectations for his students, each knew they would have to work hard and learn much in his science and history classes, at Harding Gibbs Junior High.
Bob loved the out of doors, sunsets, rocks, birds, hunting, fishing, and picnics with family and friends in the mountains, at the creek, or in the river bottoms.
Music was in his heart as he encouraged family to develop musical skills, be they vocal or instrumental. He knew how much music would bless their lives forever. He always had an “earworm” that he’d try to make you guess, then he would sing it for his listener. He had a beautiful bass voice, and in his youth he played the French Horn.
Always working to care and provide for his family, Bob loved to farm and spent many hours on Caterpillars and combines, as well as driving wheat and spud trucks during school breaks. He instilled the work ethic in his family as well, making sure his kids had potato harvest and summer jobs. He emphasized that “Anything worth doing, is worth doing well”.
Bob loved to serve and joined Janice in serving five Missions: New Mexico, Albuquerque, Idaho, Pocatello where he was the “Car Czar”, Idaho Falls Visitors Center, Martin’s Cove, and finally, a local Family History Mission. He was a great advocate of the Book of Mormon and sought to share it often in his role as a missionary and as a Bishop of the Riverview Ward.
A few of Bob’s other most humbling life experiences were losing his oldest son, Rocky, to Ewing Sarcoma and his home to the Teton Dam flood, both in 1976. The hand of the Lord was there to carry his family through that time of loss, and miracles were witnessed.
Bob’s 85 years of life were full, prosperous, and well lived. His posterity and friends have been richly blessed by his love, wise counsel, and dedicated example as a disciple of Christ.
Bob is survived by: his children, Danese and Jim Lothspeich, Pocatello; Pauline and Steve Dial, Boise; Kent and Samantha Freeman, Demorest, GA; and Lance and Terri Freeman, Rockland; brothers, Gary and John Freeman; 19 grandchildren with 15 spouses; 23+2 in-the-oven great-grandchildren.
Service details and information can be found at wilksfuneralhomes.com.