Robert Freeman

FREEMAN, Robert J. Robert J. Freeman was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Upon graduation from Ohio University he made his way to Atlanta, Georgia where he spent thirty-five years helping his father create, build and run Lithonia Lighting. When he sold the business in 1976, it had gone from a small privately owned business to a publicly traded company. Once Bob left Lithonia Lighting, he devoted himself to public service and philanthropy through the Atlanta non-profit community. He worked tirelessly to find ways to empower others. During his retirement from the business world he had been involved with the Atlanta Community Food Bank, the Atlanta Association of Developmental Disabilities, the Bobby Dodd Institute, Bancroft NeuroHealth and the Georgia Justice Program. In 1998 Bob and his close friend AB Short founded MedShare International. This organization takes sanitary medical supplies that are no longer usable solely due to regulations and sends them out to poor or developing nations where they can be put to use. Now in 2019 this is a multi-million dollar non-profit operation that ships many tons of these supplies throughout the world. Bob was a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and just as importantly a friend to many. The world has had the pleasure and privilege of learning from the example of this great man. A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at Crest Lawn Memorial Park. A gathering will be held afterwards at the Bobby Dodd Institute, Robert J. Freeman Campus. The Freeman family is requesting that in lieu of sending flowers please make donations to the Bobby Dodd Institute, MedShare International and Weinstein Hospice. Arrangements by Dressler's Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.