August 15, 1941 – July 3, 2010 SALEM - Bill Freeland, 68, of Salem, passed away on Saturday, July 3, 2010 after a brief battle with cancer. He was born in Portland, Oregon to Barney and Ermeth Freeland on August 15, 1941 as the youngest of 4 children. Bill grew up in Portland, attending Ockley Green Middle School and Jefferson High School before then moving onto college at Portland State. With the advent of the Vietnam War, he enlisted in the US Air Force Reserve, and was trained in the medical field, a dual calling that he would follow his entire life. He served for many years with the Oregon Air National Guard at Portland Airport, working in the flight medicine area both full time and part time, eventually reaching the rank of Senior Master Sergeant before retiring. He continued to work in the medical field as well, in positions including nursing, as a physician’s assistant, and in the medical sales field with pharmaceutical companies.
Bill was a gifted salesman, and worked in a variety of sales-related fields throughout his career, ranging from retail sales to utilities to newspapers – he did it all! His family commented that he should be a recruiter or write a book – he could get anyone a job anytime. Some of his more unusual jobs ranged from working on Forest Service lookouts, driving heating oil delivery trucks, to his most recent job of caring for special-needs adults in a group home in Salem. Whatever he did, he did with passion, fervor, and a commitment to excellence.
Bill was a family man who loved his children and grandchildren. He combined three families and made them one and very proudly called them his own. He was a dedicated husband, dad, and grandpa. He enjoyed the times he was able to spend fishing, camping, scuba diving, and his true love of gardening. Bill was a jack-of-all trades handyman and mechanic. Everyone who knew Bill, liked him, and he will be missed by those whose lives he touched.
He is survived by his wife, Carol Freeland of Salem, Ore.; and former wives, Dori Denhem of Salem, Oregon and Linda Takis of Kona, Hawaii; his stepmother Arlene Freeland of Del Mar, Calif; his brothers Larry Freeland of Bend, Ore; Gary Freeland of Susanville, Calif; and his sister Jo Ann Freeland of Portland, Ore. He is also survived by his children, Pete Freeland of Los Angeles, Calif, Christina Atkins of Sublimity, Ore., and Shelley Merrill of Corvallis, Ore.; his grandsons, Mitchell and Aidan Freeland, Casey Atkins, and Cressey Merrill IV as well as his granddaughters Kayleen and Kelsey Atkins, and Keylin Merrill. A Celebration of Life service is planned for 4 p.m. July 24, 2010 at the Virgil T. Golden Funeral Service in Salem.