Capt.David Herbert Freeborn USCG

David H. Freeborn, age 78, of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan passed away Thursday, August 22, 2013 at McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital in Petoskey. David was born July 2, 1935 in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to the late Earl and Reeta (VanDusen) Freeborn. David married Doreen Yost of February 22 ,1969 in Ludington, Michigan. He graduated from Western Michigan University and is a distinguished alumnus of Lake Superior State University. David was a lifelong supporter and booster of Sault Sainte Marie high school and collegiate sports. After graduating from college he attended Coast Guard Officer Candidate School and upon graduation went to his first duty station as the operations officer on the cutter USCG Tupelo in Toledo, Ohio. After that he did a tour at the USCG station Sault Ste. Marie. His next assignment was as the Executive Officer on the sea going buoy tender USCG Cowslip out of Portland, Maine. After the USCG Cowslip David was assigned command of a LORAN station in the Philippines. While in the Philippines David traveled often to the leper colonies for US good will. After leaving the Philippines David served as the commanding officer of what was known as Group Houghton. David left Houghton for a tour in Vietnam as the Chief of Aids to Navigation and came back to the US as the Captain of the buoy tender USCG Woodrush based out of Duluth, Minnesota where he served as the Executive Officer. David's next tour was a Chief of Aids to Navigation for the Inland River System of the United States, based out of St. Louis, Missouri, formerly called District 2. Following that David was the Executive Officer on the ice-breaker USCG Westwind, traveling to the Arctic Circle and Greenland in support of both Coast Guard and scientific missions. He later served in Washington D.C. at US Coast Guard Headquarters as a member of the Aids to Navigation team. David's next tour took him to Kodiak, Alaska as the Commanding Officer of the light icebreaker and medium endurance cutter USCG Storis serving across the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, Gulf of Alaska and Pacific Ocean. David then moved to Cleveland, Ohio and served in the 9th District Aids to Navigation branch before coming home to Sault Sainte Marie. His final assignment was Commanding Officer of Group Sault (now known as Sault Sector) which covered all Coast Guard assets assigned to Lake Superior and the northern half of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. In addition, David's career included assignments such as the support of rebuilding the aids to navigation system on the Suez Canal with Egypt after the October War of 1973 and working with the government of Haiti. David retired in 1986 and after refining his golf game for a few weeks he joined his wife at Tri-County Appraisals, working with her in a second career till 2004. David is survived by his wife: Doreen (Yost) Freeborn of Sault Ste. Marie, MI; children: Robert (Katie) Freeborn of New York City, NY, Timothy (Braudi) Freeborn of Dearborn, MI; grandchildren: Miranda, Amber, Grace, and Andrew; one sister: Susan Trombley of Sault Ste. Marie, MI. David was preceded in death by his parents: Earl and Reeta Freeborn; and brother-in-law: James Victor Trombley. A memorial serviced will be held 11:00 am on Saturday August 24, 2013 at at C.S. Mulder Funeral Home with Mark Gabbard officiating. Friends may call at the funeral home from 10:00 am until the time of services. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left Lake State Athletic Fund, USO, or the charity of your choice.

Tributes

Capt.David Herbert Freeborn USCG

July 2, 1935 - August 22, 2013