Joseph Tobias Freeman

The community of Cary, NC lost a prominent member of its business community on October 1, 2023, when Joseph Tobias Freeman (Joe) passed away after suffering complications from a fall.

Joe, aged 94, was the beloved husband of Grace Salmon Freeman, who preceded him in death. They had been married for over 50 years. Joe was well-loved by his family: Margot Saunders and her husband Stephen and son Sam; Jennifer Bright and her husband Charlie and children Wendy, Jesse, and Traci; Justin Freeman and his wife Carol, and their children Isaac, Sarah, Lawrence, and Angelina; and his seven great-grandchildren.

Joe, son of Fanny and Lawrence Freeman, had grown up in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, NY, enjoying the companionship of his extended family. After graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he moved into the city of New York to work in the family textile company. In the mid-1960s he started his own textile company in Lillington, NC, which he sold just before the textile industry suffered a steep decline in value. Joe pivoted to commercial real estate, and over the past five decades he has owned and managed over a dozen buildings.

For many years Joe and Grace enjoyed boating around the coast of North Carolina, as well as frequent trips up to Maine and down to Florida. They loved hosting their family and friends on many of these trips. Joe had a zest for life and was well known for his unusual style of dancing and his gleaming white shoes.

After his adored wife Grace died in 2021, Joe strived to appreciate what he called his “extra life” by going to his office and assisting his son Justin in the management of the business, listening to classical music and opera, studying science, philosophy, astronomy, and history, and reading detective novels. His recent discovery of YouTube facilitated many of these learning adventures. Joe lived life to the fullest; he was always curious and always interested in the world and all its complexities.

His children, who cherished his wit, his wisdom, and his love, will miss him.

A Memorial Service to celebrate Joe’s life will be held at 2 pm, on October 5, 2023, at the Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 200 SE Maynard Road, Cary, NC. A reception will follow.

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