John Edward Free of Lompoc passed on Feb. 20, 2025 at home with his wife Helen by his side.
John was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 28, 1934, and lived in a big house beside a lake in Barrington, Illinois, until he was 10 years old.
During those years John caught fish in the lake, and became a pretty darn good baseball player.
When John was 10 years old, his family moved to Malibu, California.
Because his siblings were quite a bit older than he was, John spent much of his childhood alone, which seemed to suit him just fine. He roamed the Malibu hills and beaches, where he discovered an abandoned miniature castle and a stranded barge. Both became his private retreats.
John’s favorite subject in school was history, not for the events that occurred, but for learning about and understanding the people inside those events. He took that interest with him when he joined a real estate exchange group and learned the art of listening.
In his professional real estate and investment career, John understood that the property was secondary to the problem that needed solving. He learned to listen for the problem.
That art of listening carried into his personal and family life. John truly embodied the saying about two ears and one mouth. He never gave advice, but if you knew him, you knew John would listen all day long, and only if asked, would he offer his wisdom and gentle guidance.
While John was a quiet man, he also had an adventuresome side. In 1953 he left Stanford University to volunteer for the draft, serving in the US Army, first as a private at Fort Ord, and later as a platoon sergeant at Fort Lewis.
In the late 1950s, and much to his Dad’s chagrin, John raced cars, and then motorcycles. He didn’t win a whole lot, but he sure did have fun.
After he retired, John and Helen travelled the globe, gathering tales of new friendships and wild escapades.
John belonged to numerous volunteer and charitable organizations, served on various boards, and received a number of awards. But the thing John was most proud of was the family he and Helen blended and built.
They both brought their own children to their marriage, and through 45 years of birthdays and holidays and vacations and time spent just visiting, they created a big, sprawling, supportive, encouraging, fun, sometimes messy but always loving family.
John was a pretty good southpaw pitcher, an intrepid explorer, a race car driver, a good businessman, a veteran, a gifted communicator, and Helen’s very best friend.
To those who knew him best, John was kind, generous, thoughtful, and truly a gentle man.
John was predeceased by his mother Julia Anne (Scarritt) Free; his father James Lamb Free Sr.; sister Julia (Tony) (Free) Wenner; and brother James Lamb Free Jr.
He is survived by his wife Helen (Drenner) Free; children Louise (Free) Canlas, Edward Free, William Free, Elizabeth (Free) Shepard, Tanya (Craddock) Opfermann, and Genese (Craddock) Izuno; along with 11 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren; and one great, great grandchild.
John will be missed every single day.