William Bryant “Skip” Freely<br/>January 15, 1938 - December 2, 2014

William Bryant “Skip” Freely, beloved husband, father, and friend, passed away peacefully at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, CA after fighting metastatic melanoma (skin cancer).

Skip was born in Hollywood, CA to William Schaefer Freely and Ethel Rode Freely, initially lived in Laurel Canyon in North Hollywood, and moved to Balboa Island in 1949 where he attended Newport Beach Elementary, Horace Ensign Middle, and Newport Harbor High Schools, graduating in 1955. He loved to sail from an early age, and extended his interest in boating to be a Jungle Cruise skipper at Disneyland during its first 2 summers of operation.

Skip majored in electrical engineering, taking classes at Orange Coast College, Calstate Long Beach, and Georgia Institute of Technology; he graduated from the University of Arizona in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.

He worked as a Student Trainee Engineer with the Federal Communications Commission, then for Babcock Electronics Corporation, Gonset, TRW Systems, Philco-Ford, Hughes Aircraft Company, and California Institute of Technology in engineering and management positions involving radio communications and radar systems for aerospace applications. He joined the California Air National Guard in 1960, and retired in 1990 as a Colonel with 9 years of command at the 222nd Combat Communications Squadron in Costa Mesa, CA.

For about 60 years, he was active as a licensed amateur radio operator (ham) with the call sign K6HMS; he was a life member of the American Radio Relay League and certified to have conducted two-way communications with all 50 states, every continent, and over 225 countries. He was also active in Masonic organizations, including Order of DeMolay, Scottish Rite, National Sojourners, Grand Lodge, and Seafaring Lodge #708 in Newport Beach where he served as Master in 1976. Other organizations in which he was active included Air Force Association, Boy Scout Troop 330 of Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor High Alumni Breakfast, Amigos Viejos (an association of 99 fine gentlemen with longtime ties to Newport Harbor), Old Geezers Book Club, Bones West (a trombone choir), and the Baroque Music Festival, Corona del Mar, where he served on the board of directors 2005-14.

His love of baroque and classical music was one of his greatest pleasures in life, and one that he shared with his spouse, Sharon Deena Crowl. They married in 1962 and remained married until her passing in 1999. They raised sons Roger Douglas (1963) and David William (1970). Skip lived in Newport Beach the remainder of his life, and spent the last 15 years with the close companionship of Mary Kryder of Newport Beach.

Skip requested no services; he will be cremated with interment at sea and Inglewood Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Baroque Music Festival, Corona del Mar: PO Box 838, Corona del Mar, CA 92625. He will be missed by his sons, his sister Marcia Berger and her family, other family members and his many friends. We will one day again be united.