Herbert Freedman
AGE: 86 • Ocean Township & Boca Raton, Florida
Herbert Freedman, 86, died at home on Monday, September 11th following a lengthy illness. He was the son of David and Celia Freedman of Brooklyn, NY.
Herb was the founder and president of Freedman's Bakery, Belmar, N.J., which he operated for 64 years. Known throughout the Jersey Shore, Freedman's at one time had 42 stores in Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
After a Depression-era childhood marked by struggle and poverty, he left college to support his family at age 18 as an employee of Papier's Bakery. Within two years he owned the establishment. He partnered at various times with his father David, his grandfather Morris, his brother Joel, and with Bernard Strauss, Jeffrey Liss and his son Mark. The early years, in the 1950's were difficult, and Herb would often bake during the day and drive a truck for miles at night, seeking wholesale business in distant places in order to keep the business alive. His relentless drive created a success which was praised far and wide, especially for the famous corn rye bread and the Kneip roll. Children and grandchildren of the original customers remember fondly Freedman's donuts, black-and-whites, cupcakes and other favorites. Freedman's was sold in 2014, and the Beach Haus brewery now occupies the site.
Through an accidental meeting with a Dutch manufacturer of bakery equipment, Herb founded a second business, originally named Herbert Equipment, and soon after renamed Adam Equipment, to honor his partner, Adam Boren, a Holocaust survivor. Later reborn as Adamatic, fine bakery equipment was designed by Herb, who used his level of expertise in the baking industry to advance the excellence in the industry, until the business was sold to the Hobart Corporation in 1989.
He also was a cofounder, with Adam and Daniel Millman, of a chain of shopping mall bakeries called The Bread Factory, later sold to the Pepsi Cola Company, which renamed the business La Petite Boulangerie.
In 2001 Herb and his son Mark started Apex Bakery Equipment, which is operated today by Mark.
Herb and his wife were generous donors to important causes, in particular to the Jewish Federation of Greater Monmouth County. He was instrumental in sending a truckload of nonperishable food to Haiti after the disastrous earthquake there, a tribute to the many Haitian employees who he sponsored and to whom he offered work over the years.
Throughout his long career in business, Herb was admired by fellow businessmen and women, as well as by the hundreds of employees to whom he showed empathy and understanding. He is considered an icon in the baking industry.
Herb is survived by his wife Arlynn (Lindy), son Mark and daughter-in-law Maryla, granddaughter, Julia, son David and daughter-in-law Lisa McFadden, Herb's brother Joel Freedman and wife Ronnie, his nephew Steven Freedman and wife Susan, and his sister Karen Becker, husband Arthur Becker, and nephews Daniel and Jeffrey Becker.
A memorial service will be held Sunday, September 17th, at 3:00 PM at the Woolley-Boglioli Funeral Home, 10 Morrell Street, Long Branch, New Jersey 07740. The family will be at home on September 17-19th.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Herb's memory to the Monmouth County Jewish Federation or the Anti-Defamation League.
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Published in Asbury Park Press on Sept. 15, 2017
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