Joseph Ray Raymond Freelin

On Friday, November 2, 2012 of McLean, VA. Beloved husband of the late Helen A. Freelin "Chris"; loving father of Judith Freelin Bassett of Ellicott City, MD, Gary Freelin of Richmond, VA, Christine Freelin (Joseph Gigantelli) of Stevensville, MT and Mary K. Moore (Andrew) of Fairfax, VA. Also surviving are eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his brother Gary R. Freelin and his sister Garry Price. The family will be receiving friends at the MURPHY FALLS CHURCH FUNERAL HOME, 1102 West Broad St., (Rt. 7) on Wednesday, November 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. John the Beloved Catholic Church, 6420 Linway Terrace, McLean, VA 22101 on Thursday, November 8 at 11 a.m. Interment to follow at Quantico National Cemetery, Triangle, VA with friends and family assembling at the cemetery at 1:15 p.m. Contributions may be made in Ray's memory to the American Cancer Society , www.cancer.org.

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Joseph Raymond Freelin – Aeronautical Engineer and World War II Naval Officer

Joseph Raymond “Ray” Freelin passed away on November 2, 2012 in Fairfax, Virginia. Ray was born March 30, 1925 in Moberly, Missouri to Robert Gary Freelin and Zula Mary Freelin (nee Shelton). He had twin siblings born 5 years earlier, Gary Robert Freelin and Garaldine Freelin Price who became the wife of Congressman Melvin Price (Illinois), the former Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

At age 17, Ray joined the Navy’s newly established Air Cadet Program to further his lifelong love of flying. He served 4 years in active service as a navigator on naval transport aircraft in the Asian Pacific Theater, based out of Hawaii and Guam. He remained active in the Naval Reserves until 1967.

After active service, Ray moved to Washington, DC and attended the Catholic University of America, where he graduated with a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering.

In Washington, DC, Ray met Helen Amanda “Chris” Christiansen from Beaver Creek, Minnesota. They fell in love and married on June 9, 1951 and left for San Diego, California and a job with Convair, now General Dynamics. Their four children were born in California – Judith, Gary, Christine and Mary.

Ray’s career took him from aircraft to aerospace design, including work on rockets and satellites. He worked for General Electric Space Systems in Pennsylvania; high-speed train systems with The MITRE Corporation in McLean, Virginia, and the Hubble Space telescope with Swales and Associates in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Always the avid aviator, Ray flew and rebuilt historic aircraft, including a Rearwin Skyranger and a WACO Cabin Bi-plane. He worked to make them air-worthy, and introduced his family and friends to the joys of flying, fly-ins, and cleaning squirrel nests out of the fuselage!

Ray was predeceased by his beloved Chris in February, 2000, and is survived by his much-loved children, Judith Freelin Bassett, Gary Freelin, Christine Freelin (Joseph Gigantelli), and Mary K. Moore (Andrew Moore). He is also survived by his eight grandchildren – Brian, Stefanie, Caitlin Bassett; Adam, Marc, Erik Freelin; Alex and Christina Moore – two great-grandchildren – Julia and Hanna Bassett, as well as extended family members and the many, many friends who he adopted as family.