Award-winning numismatist and former CCN contributor Fred Freeman, of St. Catharines, Ont., died on Dec. 22, 2019, at the age of 91.
Born in Iroquois Falls, Ont., in 1928, Freeman moved to St. Catharines and joined Ontario Hydro in 1949 before marrying his wife Betty two years later.
A lifelong collector of Canadian coins, Freeman developed a 100-page course, “Canadian Coins 101,” for young collectors. Both the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association (RCNA) and Ontario Numismatic Association (ONA) awarded him in recognition of his pioneering efforts to inspire the next cohort of numismatists. He was also active in the local Woodstock Coin Club, which he served as president and bulletin editor.
In 2008, Freeman was named a Fellow of the RCNA, and five years later, he earned the ONA’s Bruce H. Raszmann Award for “exemplary executive service.” Named after the ONA’s first treasurer, who held the job for nearly 50 years, the award was first presented in 2012, the year of Raszmann’s death.
As requested by Freeman, no public visitation or funeral services will be held. Instead of flowers, the family is grateful for any donations to South Gate Centre or Woodstock General Hospital.