Lasting Memories

Steve Freese
June 3, 1948-Nov. 12, 2014
San Juan Capistrano, California

Steve Freese was born on June 3, 1948, and died on Nov. 12, 2014 from complications due to lung cancer. His wife, Laura Smyth Freese, and daughters, Corine Freese, Shauna Freese and Alexa Freese Wiley were by his side, along with other friends and relatives.

He grew up in Palo Alto, attending Crescent Park Elementary School, Jordan Junior High School and Palo Alto High School.

Though Steve accomplished a great deal, his greatest accomplishment was how he taught his friends and family to embrace life.

Steve found joy in the smallest things; like the flag waving on a hillside, the smell of fresh coffee or picking up a loved one from the airport. Steve lived a spiritual life: he fed the homeless, built houses for the poor, and was kind and generous to everyone he ever encountered from the local pharmacist to the little kids in the neighborhood. He had an old-fashioned sense of ethics and chivalry: he believed in the truth, fairness and protecting those weaker than himself. He had a huge number of friends because he made new friends everywhere: on a harbor walk or a trip to Costco. His creativity was legendary: he created ditties to the beat of his car's blinker; he initiated the singing of Christmas carols with a whole plane-load of strangers on a flight home on Christmas Eve. His sincere smile welcomed all to his home, and, if lucky, he provided a honky-tonk song on the guitar before they left. Steve made friends wherever he went in life, and he never lost a single one along the way.

Steve had a truly sincere smile and glistening blue eyes but was even more handsome of spirit. He loved to laugh and never wanted to miss a moment of life. Even at the end of his life he stated with a whisper that he had "FOMO" (fear of missing out) when the morphine tempted him to sleep. He was so endearing that the nurses would linger in his hospital room to hear his stories and cried when it was time to leave.

As a Dad, he taught us to "buck up" when life was tough but held us tenderly when we just couldn't. He taught us the virtues of being honest, humble, tender, funny and how to tell a good joke. He wrote a song about himself called "Steve Freese, what a handsome guy" which we sang at his bedside as he took his last breathes. His last wish was to go out laughing, and he did.