Paul E. Freeman passed away 8/16/25 at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale. Born in St. Paul on 5/17/36, he graduated from Johnson High School and enjoyed rich friendships with many kids from Jenks Street and the surrounding neighborhood (Grant, Bill and Herb to name a few).

After high school he entered the Marine Corps, was stationed in California and Japan, and achieved the rank of corporal. After the Marines he lived in Chicago and worked for Abbott Labs. Later, he moved back to Minnesota and attended Gustavas Adolphus College, SCSU, and the U of M. He married Dorothy Johnson on 7/18/1959 and enjoyed being a member of the Johnson clan, especially at Ottertail Lake gatherings. The majority of his career was spent at Berndt Electric while living in St. Louis Park and raising a family.

Paul and Dorothy both spent countless hours with joy transporting and watching their three boys at practices and games for hockey, soccer, baseball and any other activity their boys had with school in St Louis Park.  He also loved his Buick cars through the years, great early years on Kentucky Avenue in St Louis Park with his neighbors/kids friends (Gaffney, Larson, Zimmerman, Holman, Palmersheim, Boyum, Duffy & Donahue), which included his very close friend Verna Larson and her kids Cindy & Mike who spent many years with him after Dorothy died in 2007.

Paul loved lake life and spent many happy hours at the cabin in Waverly puttering around, boating, fishing, grilling, and eating the enticing edibles Dorothy cooked up. He had a simple desire to help others and do his part to make this world a bit better, which he did by volunteering at STEP food shelf and Methodist Hospital. He enjoyed Byerly’s, Target, Wuollet’s, Palm’s Bakery (closed in St Louis Park), Hackenmueller’s Meats (Robbinsdale, MN), candy (Brach’s Jelly beans, red licorice Nibs, Butterfinger bars) Mary Kitchen corned beef hash, McDonald’s hamburgers (with only cheese, onions and pickles), Boar’s Head cold cuts (ham was a favorite), half loaf of wheat bread, raspberry’s, watermelon, Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream, Morelli’s Liquor homemade spumoni ice cream (east St Paul), an icy cold Budweiser, 2% milk in quart size or smaller, Coke Zero, Cherry Coke and Schweppes ginger ale all in 7oz cans, brandy, small bottles of water (never the 16 oz size!), white t-shirts, duct tape, Dixie paper cups, washing dishes at the sink (or just running water to escape), yellow lined legal pads, documenting everything that happened to him, paper clips, rubber bands, the Vikings (maybe this will be THE year), Gopher football (frustrating at times), and the Twins (won 2 championships) - all of these were quintessentially Paul and we loved him for his quirks.

He is preceded in death by his mom, Signe and dad, Clifford (Bud), and his wife Dorothy. He is survived by sons Jay (Jeanne), Scot (Kim), and Troy (Julia), three grandchildren - Amanda (Dan), Adam (Julie) and Emily (Brice), including nine great-grandchildren.  In addition, several nieces/nephews from the Johnson side of the family, along with Paul's cousins from his aunts/uncles (Randy Olson and Susan Savage).

A memorial service will take place on Thursday October 9, 2025 at 10AM with a visitation one hour prior at the Ft Snelling Chapel, 1 Tower Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55450. There will be a private family interment at Ft Snelling National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to The American Cancer Society, The Parkinson's Foundation, or directly to the family.