November 5, 1937 - June 1, 2007
Dr. John O. Freim, Jr., died June 1, 2007. In early April, Dr. Freim's leg was amputated due to angiosarcoma. He went through a period of recovery and rehabilitation and appeared to be progressing well. However, the cancer recurred and progressed rapidly. Dr. Freim came to Bradley in 1968. His teaching load included a general education physics course, general physics, radiation biology and a physics course for students in the Nurse Administered Anesthesia program.
OBITUARY
John O. Freim Jr., 69, of Peoria died peacefully on Friday, June 1, 2007, at Methodist Medical Center in Peoria, ending a nine-year battle with cancer.
He was born November 5, 1937, in Denver, Colorado, to John and Clara (Karlin) Freim.
He is survived by his son, John (Diane) Freim III of Escondido, California; his daughter, Vicki Kellar of Elmhurst; brother, Harold Freim of Syracuse, N.Y.; sister, Barbara Friel of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and his beloved grandchildren, Jessica and John O. Freim IV, both of Escondido, California.
He attended Englewood High School and Adams State College, where he was a multi-sport athlete earning All-American academic honors. After two years in the United States Marine Corps, he continued his education at New Mexico Highlands University and Pennsylvania State University, earning a Ph.D. in biophysics.
Dr. Freim moved to Peoria in 1968 and worked for almost four decades as a faculty member in the Physics Department at Bradley University. He greatly enjoyed this profession. His unique and highly skilled teaching style was acknowledged and appreciated by his fellow faculty members and several generations of students. He also worked at Methodist Medical Center as a medical physicist in the radiation oncology department.
He enjoyed sports, attending almost all Bradley basketball home games for 40 years, his grandchildren, his cats and was blessed with an extended network of close and caring friends.
His memorial service was at Laramie Street Baptist Church in Peoria on Tuesday, June 5. Burial was Wednesday, June 6 at Lutheran Cemetery.