John Walter Freeman

John W. Freeman was born in January 1945. He was the youngest of six children raised by Proctor and Beatrice Freeman. Beatrice had three children from a prior marriage, and Proctor and Beatrice gave birth to three children of their own. John was welcomed into this fully formed family with the children all raised by Proctor Freeman as his own. The children lived and grew up In Kansas City, Kansas and attended KCK public schools from elementary through high school.

John had a lifelong interest in electronics and earned his First-Class radio license at the age of 16. After hearing Buddy Holly’s early music on local radio stations, John was inspired to teach himself to play the guitar. Natural talent and an abundance of practice resulted in his becoming an accomplished musician.

In his mid-teens, he formed a combo with a few high school friends. They called themselves “The Airliners”, played some local venues, and made a few demo tapes. Although popular, the combo dissolved as members began their personal lives and careers after high school.

After graduation from Sumner High school in 1963, John’s advanced knowledge of electronics earned him a job with the AT&T Long Lines Division. That division created infrastructure and carried long distance calls, television signals, and military data. John worked for AT&T until he retired 31 years later.

In 1965, John married his high school sweetheart, Jewel A., and had two children, Vivian, and J.P. That marriage ended in 1982.

In 1984, John married Karen D., and brought her two children into his family, Kristen, and John E. That marriage dissolved in 2003.

John accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior at an early age and worshipped at the Roswell Church of Christ in Kansas City, Kansas for many years. In his midlife, he transferred to the Bonner Springs Church of Christ where he served the congregation as the audio-visual technician until his passing.

John had a giving spirit and was always willing to help, especially when the situation involved electronics, audio-visual equipment, music, or one of his many other areas of expertise.

John was preceded in death by both parents, four siblings (Floyd, Carol, Merline, and Catherine), one grandchild, and one great grandchild.

John is survived by his sister Joyce, and his children Vivian, J.P., Kristen, and John E. He is also survived by four grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

John will be missed by long-time friends, former coworkers, and members of his church family.

Visitation will be from 10:00 -11:00 am followed by funeral services at 11:00 am on Thursday, April 20, 2023 at the Bonner Springs Church of Christ, 419 East Morse Ave, Bonner Springs, KS 66012,

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.chapelhill-butler.com for the Freeman family

For those unable to attend in person, the funeral service for John Freeman will also be streamed on Facebook, by Bonner Springs Church of Christ. The livestream will begin at 10:55AM on Thursday 4/20/2022, and the service begins at 11:00AM. To stream, please click the link below, log in to Facebook as needed, then scroll down the Facebook page a bit. The livestream video will be near the top of the page, with a red “LIVE” symbol at the top left of the video box.

https://www.facebook.com/Bonner.Springs.CofC?mibextid=LQQJ4d