John Edward Freed—known to most as Ed or Eddie in his youth—passed away on Friday, May 30, 2025, at the age of 80.
Born February 24, 1945, in Beaver County, Pennsylvania to John Daniel and Catherine Ashbrook Freed, Ed spent his early years in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He studied at Northwestern University and bled “purple pride.” Go Cats! He received his MBA from the University of Missouri and proudly served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS John Willis based in Newport, Rhode Island.
Ed eventually settled in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he raised his family. He spent the first half of his career as a sales executive in the medical equipment field, moving to inventory manager at a car dealership when he was 55, and he refused to retire until just before his 80th birthday.
He was an avid golf fan and excellent scratch player in his day. Those who loved him knew during a major golf championship he would be watching with a bag of peanuts by his side.
Ed was a world-class listener and confidant. He delighted in his family, especially his grandchildren, and surrounded himself with photos of those he loved with a sneaky talented eye for interior decoration. His dry sense of humor and quick wit ran deep, and he had everyone laughing even in his final days.
He is survived by his longtime partner Patricia Granger Hawkins; her daughter Jennifer (Michael) Abramowski; his three children Melissa (David) Vonk, Michael (Rebecca) Freed, and Andrew (Bridget) Freed, and their mother Linda Freed. He will be greatly missed by his grandchildren: Madeline, Molly, Hayden, Henry and Harper Vonk; Elizabeth and Catherine Grace Freed; and Allison and Ryan Abramowski.
The family will receive visitors at O’Brien-Eggebeen-Gerst Funeral Home, 3980 Cascade Rd. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. with Military Honors at 6:30 p.m. Under the Auspices of Kent County Honor Guard followed by a Celebration of Ed’s Life after at the funeral home where we will share stories and laughs of a life well lived.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Folds of Honor, Folds of Honor Foundation Department 13, Tulsa, OK 74182, a non-profit organization providing educational scholarships to military families of fallen or disabled service members and first responders.
And in the spirit of Ed, we encourage you to go for a drive, grab a cup of coffee, and play a round of golf with family and friends.
7 Responses
Ed sold me my ‘89 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP and kindly showed me all the bells and whistles of the day.
Then through my dear friend Pat, I got to know Ed on a more personal level with dinners or lunch together. Ed will be missed by many.
We were neighbors and our children grew up together. We spent many a 4th of July watching the fireworks downtown, Ed always went downtown very early in the morning to save a place for our blanket along with others. He will be missed by so many friends and family.
I am very sorry for your loss. He was a great man. Life is short but we have so much more to look forward to.
So Sorry for your loss… I always enjoyed being around Ed.
I was saddened to hear of the passing of Ed . My deepest condolences to the family and friends . RIP Ed . Sincerely , Vanda Hawkins
I remember growing up with Uncle Ed dressing up as Santa for us kids and always taking his candid photos. Even recently when he wasn’t feeling well, he enjoyed making my own children laugh. My turn to take some candid photos :). I am so glad that my kids got to meet their great uncle and grateful for the time that I got to spend with him. RIP Ed, we love you.
Ed helped to raise one of my favorite humans…Missy. 🙂 I enjoyed several good chats with him during his visits to see her at Northwestern and at Missy and Dave’s wedding. What a warm and friendly soul who clearly loved his family. I am sure he will be missed by many. I am sending along my deep condolences and support to you all.