Earl Walter Freeland, Jr.
Class of 1961
 

Virginian-Pilot, (Norfolk, VA) December 5, 2001

Earl Walter Freeland Jr., 58, left our arms to God's arms Dec. 4, 2001, at home after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Born in Fairmont, W.Va., Earl was a 1961 graduate of Craddock High School. He had been an area resident most of his life and moved to Hampton in 1970 where he was self-employed as an automobile wholesaler.

He was an active member of Pine Chapel Baptist Church and the Tidewater Gospel Music Association. He loved music and enjoyed singing bass with the Riverdale Quartet.His survivors include his wife of 39 years, Joyce Bridges Freeland; daughters, Belinda Marie Arthur and husband Michael of Hampton, Michelle Renea Rice and husband Kent of Newport News and Heather Lee Guilford and husband Chris of Laurinburg, N.C.; his parents, Freda Johnston Freeland and the Rev. Earl Walter Freeland; and mother-in-law, Myrtle Bridges, all of Portsmouth; sister, Barbara Vandervort of Summerset, Pa.; brothers, James Lee Freeland of Clearfield, Pa., and John Robert Freeland of Portsmouth; and grandchildren, Lauren, Jordan, Curtis, Emily, Tyler and Madison.

A service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Pine Chapel Baptist Church by the Rev. Frank Earwood. Burial will follow at Parklawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Parklawn-Wood Funeral Home.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Pine Chapel Baptist Church Benevolence Fund, 1544 W. Queen St., Hampton, VA 23669.