William Patrick “Bill” Freeman, 72, of Oxford, died July 26, 2024, at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo following a courageous year of treatment for a rare and incurable form of cancer. Always a man with a plan, he had intended to live to be 100 and lived his last year as if he might.
Bill was born November 9, 1951, in Dallas, Texas, to Patsy Davis and Raleigh Jerome “Jay” Freeman, the second of their three sons. He was a 1970 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas and of the accountancy program of North Texas State University. He was a certified public accountant.
His professional life was spent in the field of public utility finance, where he often became the youngest person to hold various positions at multiple companies, among them Texas Power and Light, the Public Utilities Commission of Texas, Texas Municipal Power Agency, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), and the Lower Colorado River Authority, where he served as CFO, COO, Deputy General Manager, and independent consultant after his retirement. He was particularly feared on the witness stand when testifying on behalf of utilities. His innovative programs and willingness to take calculated risks left a lasting impact on the utility business in Texas and beyond.
In retirement, Bill did what he really loved most: home renovations, his own and those of friends and family. Everyone who knew him has a story of something he built or repaired. Wearing his trademark hat, splattered with paint, and holding a hammer or power tool was his happy place.
After retiring to Oxford, MS, from Austin, Texas, Bill immediately looked for opportunities to use his talents. He served on the Oxford Planning Commission, the Tree Board, the Oxford Creek Homeowners Association, the Lafayette County Historical and Genealogical Society, the Lafayette County Digital Museum, and as an election official. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church and an ordained elder.
Bill is survived by his wife of 35 years, Melinda, and their blended family, Lisa Freeman (Frederick Robinson), Dory Phillips Sisson (Tim), and Adam Phillips (Zoe). He was Grandpa to AnnaLyse Robinson and Harry & Carter Sisson and Pa to Chloe and Archer Phillips. He leaves the grands with happy memories of adventures, board games, bowling, and being encouraged to climb on the roof and look around. He leaves the children with lessons in being fearless and loyal. He taught them all to apply drywall and how to fix most broken things. He taught his family and friends the life lesson of “Have you read the manual??”
He is survived also by his Freeman Brothers Jay Freeman (Valerie) and Tim Freeman (Carol) and nephew Zach (Brynn and sons Hayes, Taylor, and Ellis) and niece Melanie; by his beloved Benson cousins and his Davis cousins; and by Melinda’s brother and sisters Wesley, Melissa, and Mollie and their families, who loved him deeply.
Bill’s remains will be scattered in a service at the Benson family place in Henley, Texas, the place he loved most in the world.
A service of celebration will be held in Oxford at a later date.
It was his wish that anyone wishing to make a memorial donation in his memory do so to the Spina Bifida Association, 1600 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 800, Arlington, VA, 22209.
The family is forever grateful to his oncologist Dr. Ryan Yates and to the infusion staff at Baptist Cancer Center; for nurses Tara, Angela, and Nita on the acute rehab wing at Baptist Hospital for their wise and tender treatment and advocacy; and to the best neighbor-doctors and friends, Dr. Dave Duddleston and Dr. Ryan Wellborn.
To the many friends in Oxford who circled the wagons around us, our love and gratitude.
