Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Mr. Leroy Freeman
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Mr. Leroy Freeman who passed on May 17, 2022. Mr. Leroy, 75, was a native of the Fairmont community. He will be remembered as a true leader, a veteran and a businessman who broke barriors for our tribal community and all Native People. He believed in supporting the community. He was a member of the Lumbee Tribe of N.C.
Mr. Freeman leaves his loving and devoted wife of 41 years, Rose Oxendine Freeman; two children, Adam Cranston Freeman, and Adrian Colby-Lynn Freeman, both of the home; his mother-in-law, Rosie Lee Oxendine; five sisters, Debbie Jacobs of Raeford, Myra F. Hunt of Charlotte, Rosie Lee Hunt of St. Pauls, Lori Ann Barnes (Allen) of Fairmont, and Linda O. Hunt (Clayton) of Fairmont; seven brothers, Christopher Sanderson (Charlotte) of Fairmont, Reverend Tony Hunt (Deana) of Raeford, Reverend BJ Hunt of Baltimore, Maryland, Harold Hunt of Fairmont, Willie James Hunt of Fairmont, Kenny Hunt (Geraldine) of Lumberton, and Curly Jr. Hunt (Mary) of Pembroke.
Mr. Freeman also leaves a host of loving nieces and nephews to cherish his service to others, Corbin, Joshua, Aleshia, Jay, Robert, Lynn, Helena, Lenora, Tammy, Tee, Jonathan, Cynthia and dozens more. Several very spoiled family pets: Prince, Trouble, Angel and Bandit also shared a special place in Mr. Freeman's life.
Mr. Freeman was an Army veteran. He was the retired owner of Freeman and Smith, Inc., later known as NYP Corp AMPACK Division, located in Lumberton. Mr. Freeman also owned the Snak Shak, a local restaurant in Fairmont, as well as being the co-owner of Heavenly Touch Home Healthcare, located in Pembroke. Mr. Freeman had extensive experience and success in providing services to Native American families in Robeson County and never once did he expect any return on his investment in the lives of other people.
From 2000 to 2007, Mr. Freeman served in an elected position to the Board of Directors for Lumbee Regional Development Association. During this time, Mr. Freeman served as the Chairman of the Board for most of his tenure. In June 2001, Mr. Freeman was appointed by the then Gov. Mike Easley, to the N.C. Crime Commission. Mr. Freeman spent the majority of his life as an active participant in local and state politics.
Over the years, Mr. Freeman was appointed to many local committees and organizations. His contributions and leadership resulted in new and improved services for his local community which are still ongoing today. On a personal note, Mr. Freeman's hobbies included politics, photography and watching television. He was an avid Carolina fan as well as a longtime benefactor for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mr. Freeman was so thankful for his life of service and for all of the individuals who gave him a chance to work and serve so many good and worthy people.
A couple of historical facts about the life of our Awesome Mr. Leroy Freeman's life: Mr. Freeman was instrumental in developing the color that became the official color of the sandbags that were later utilized for the protection of our soldiers during Desert Storm and secondly, Mr. Freeman worked extensively on the creation and design of the mail bags that are still the official form of transport for the U.S. Postal Service.
