Ted Freeman Obituary

Ted Barron Freeman CAMDEN, SC - Ted Barron Freeman, 84, of Camden, S.C., died Sunday, November 1, 2015. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Ted was born September 25, 1931 in Great Falls, S.C., the son of Louise Barron Freeman and W. Townsend Freeman. He received his A.B. from Presbyterian College. He was a proud PC booster who steered many young people to his beloved alma mater. After a tour of duty in the Korean War, Ted received his Master's of Education at the University of South Carolina and studied in the doctoral program at Auburn University. Ted spent his career in public service. He was a school teacher and principal before serving as principal of Moultrie High School in Mt. Pleasant. While in Mt. Pleasant he met Mary T. Tompkins, formerly of Edgefield, and they married in 1965. He worked for the S.C. Department of Education until his appointment in 1973 to the Atlanta office of the U.S. Office of Education. He was appointed by President Reagan as Secretary's Representative for the Southeast and later came back to South Carolina in 1988 to direct the state office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He retired in 1999. Ted was a true gentleman with a servant's heart. He coached youth soccer for years and, after retirement, delivered Meals on Wheels until his own health prevented him from continuing. He served as deacon, elder, and Sunday School director at Smyrna Presbyterian Church in Conyers, Ga., and as an elder at Bethesda Presbyterian in Camden. He was an opera aficionado whose hobbies included golf, bridge, vegetable gardening, singing, poetry, and planning his family's next adventure. He cheered enthusiastically for any sport his grandchildren played and, most passionately, for PC football. He was a natural champion of any underdog. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Mary T., children Ted II (Amy Davis) of Atlanta; Elise (Joe Crosby) of Pawleys Island.; and Robert (Jade Lee Freeman) of Gaithersburg, Md.; and five grandchildren, Jonah Ashmore Crosby, John Grey Crosby, Townsend Michael Crosby, Emma Lee Freeman, and Phoebe Thurmond Freeman. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Dr. William T. Freeman. Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday at Bethesda Presbyterian Church with The Reverend John Hallman officiating. The family will receive visitors at John Knox Hall following the service. Memorials may be made to Presbyterian College, Bethesda Presbyterian Church, and the American Cancer Society. Kornegay Funeral Home, Camden Chapel, is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to the Freeman family by visiting www.kornegayfuneral.com. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston