Preston McChesney Freeman

Preston McChesney Freeman of El Cajon, CA age 95 April 5, 1929-January 21, 2025
Preston McChesney Freeman was born on April 5, 1929, to Kenneth and Lois (McChesney) Freeman at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, California. Preston graduated from Grossmont High School in 1947. He was drafted into the military in February 1954 where he was stationed in West Germany and visited Paris, France twice during the Cold War. He went on to study Chemistry at San Diego State University and later at UC Berkeley. He met his beloved wife Janice Marie (Hilsinger) Freeman in 1966 while they were both working at the Naval Ordnance Lab in Corona, California. He liked to tell the story of their first date and how he was able to woo her with a perfect watermelon. Preston went to Graduate School at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where his first daughter, Elizabeth, was born. He briefly taught at Grinnell College in 1970 prior to the college being shut down after the Kent State massacre. He and his young family moved home to San Diego, California in 1970 where he lived for the rest of his long and well-loved life. When they first arrived back to San Diego they settled in Encinitas where his family was, and he built the house they lived in. After his second daughter, Jennifer was born the family moved to a two and half acre farm in East County and he and Janice had 2 more children, Joshua and (James) Matthew who grew up in East County in the second house he built himself.
Preston and Janice loved camping, and many family memories were made over the years on trips up and down the California coast, dropping 3 out of 4 children off at UC Santa Cruz as well as several trips to Yosemite, including one memorable time during the Mammoth Lakes Earthquakes in 1980. The family also spent many weekends camping and hiking at Green Valley Falls in the Cuyamaca mountains.
Preston was fascinated by history, physics, farming and nature. He raised cows, pigs, goats and blue egg laying Araucana Chickens on the farm. He also grew fruit and vegetables to feed his family. He worked as a chemist on the ICBM project in San Diego, as an engineer, and as a real estate broker helping landowners to split and sell lots to others who wanted to move out to the country and build their own homes as he had. His last job was as a Computer Programmer. A lifelong learner, Preston taught himself programming languages and how to read in Spanish. With his son Josh's help, he built a web page to share his physics writing and his beliefs about climate change, the Palestinian conflict and evolution and some other "themes of one kind or another." https://www.somenewandsomerewrittenphysics.com/home
As a child, a teacher once asked Preston what he wanted to be when he grew up and she was horrified when Preston answered, "a carpenter". While this was not his profession it was his art and his family still lives in Flinn Springs, California in one of the houses he built. Preston did not just build homes for his family; he helped them build dreams. He encouraged his children to be adventurous, to love each other and to love the earth.
On Preston's last day he was joined by his wife, 3 out of 4 children and his niece Sharon at Kaiser Hospital. He was able te see his other daughter, son in law and grandchildren on a video call from Mexico, something we all just dreamed about as children. Preston was a huge sports fan, and he was able to watch the College Football Championships and dictate to his daughter Elizabeth just how to brew his favorite, very strong, Lipton Tea.
How to make a perfect cup of hot tea
Fill his green mug to 1/4 inch from the top. Microwave 2 minutes. Add two Lipton tea bags. Let it sit 20 minutes. Dip them up and down 36 times then squeeze them out. Microwave again for one minute. Add 4 squeezes from honey bear, waiting for the air bubble after each squeeze.
Preston is survived by his wife, Janice, his 4 children, Elizabeth, Jenne (Luis), Josh and Matt (Jess) and 4 grandchildren, Isaac, Quinn, Maitane and Ameyalli as well as many nieces and nephews from the Freeman and McCandless Families.
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