Irwin FREEDMAN

1924 - 2015

FREEDMAN, Irwin Bernard Irwin (Buck) Freedman, 91, passed away on May 13, 2015 in Atlanta. He was born in 1924 in New York City, the third child of the late Alan Eliot Freedman and Marie Barrach Freedman. Buck grew up in Brooklyn and Great Neck, NY. He attended Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Ga. He earned a bachelors degree in industrial engineering at Georgia Tech in 1948. Buck began his career with DeLuxe Laboratories ("Color by Deluxe") which processed motion picture film for Twentieth Century Fox and other major and minor studios. Buck served both as Assistant to the President and as president of the Toronto lab. He represented the New York labs in union contract negotiations. When Fox was running into financial distress in the early 1960s, Buck kept product flowing into the lab by successfully selling DeLuxe's excess capacity to most of New York's independent movie producers. He left DeLuxe shortly after the Zanuck takeover of Fox, and was motion picture film national sales manager in Los Angeles for Agfa-Gevaert until his retirement . Buck was a Life Fellow of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, a member of the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation, and a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Buck was in the Georgia Tech ROTC, from which he entered the U.S. Army Signal Corps as an officer in 1943. He oversaw the transportation of military surveillance and training films for processing and delivery to the Pentagon. Leaving active duty in 1946, he served in the reserves through 1950. Buck was a loving and devoted family man. He rarely missed any of the many family events. He was friendly, charming, approachable, caring and a natural leader with a devilish sense of humor. Perhaps his life's greatest contribution outside his family was his more than half-century as Scoutmaster, first with cub scout pack and boy scout troop 145 in Great Neck, N. Y., and then with troop 117 in Brentwood, Ca. He also had various leadership positions on both the troops' and the councils' boards. He was a leader, example, and friend to hundreds of boys and young men whom he guided into becoming outstanding gentlemen. He was a second father to many. He made the world a better place through his inspiration and caring. Countless former scouts kept in touch through the years and invited him to their life cycle events. As Buck's illness progressed, a large number former scouts and their parents rallied to him from across the country with thanks along with moving, touching and humorous stories. Buck also volunteered with many organizations including serving as president of at least two parent-teacher organizations. He was patriotic and instilled love of country in his sons and grandchildren. He ensured his family maintained its Jewish identity and was a committed member of temples wherever he lived. Buck is survived by his loving wife of 71 years, Pat Levy Freedman of Atlanta; devoted sons and daughters-in-law Chuck (Kim), Stan (Sarah), D. Jay (Sarah Pscheidt) and Bruce (Lori Goldstrom); brother Mickey Freedman and sister-in-law Allene Freedman; sister-in-law Nathalie Goodrich; grandchildren Daniel (Amy), Seth (Jamie), Lindsey, Caroline and Isaiah Freedman, Chris and Michael Tappan, and Alex (Emily) Egeler; great grandchildren Sierra, Benjamin Connor, Benjamin Henry, and Smith Freedman, and Sean Egeler; 5 nieces and nephews; and many other family and friends including caregiver Lamar Atkinson. The immediate family is also indebted to Buck's nephew-in-law Dr. Lee Padove for his continuous, immediately responsive and loving medical care for the last several years. Memorial services will be held on Sunday, May 17 at The Temple on Peachtree at 12:30 followed by interment at Crestlawn Memorial Park at 3:30. A shiva (short service) will be held at 6:30 at Pat and Buck's home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Troop 117 Western LA County Council and mailed to Western LA County Council 16525 Sherman Way Ste. C-8, Van Nuyes, CA 91406, or the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation, 10045 Riverside Drive, Third Floor, Lake, CA 91602 or https://secure.webaloo.com/wrpioneers/donate.asp