OBITUARY

May 14, 1942–January 16, 2024

William Bruce Freeburn died Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, from a heart attack, in Pomona, Calif. He lived in Montclair, Calif., for 50 years.

Bruce was born May 14, 1942, in Pomeroy, to Orville Henry Freeburn (March 16, 1908 - Jan. 24, 1969) and Lois Fern Stallcop Freeburn (Oct. 24, 1908 - June 13, 1950). Two other babies preceded him in death.

Bruce graduated from Pomeroy High School in 1960 and Washington State University in 1965. As a freshman at WSU, he was selected by the Intercollegiate Knights on the basis of scholarship and campus activities.

He participated in ROTC at WSU and graduated as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He served in Germany from 1966-69. He had parachute training at Fort Benning, Ga., which he hated. He was stationed in Kansas for a while. He attained the rank of captain while serving in Vietnam, returning home in 1972.

Bruce married Connie Stone in May, 1975, in San Diego; divorcing in 1981.

He loved skiing, bicycling and bird hunting. On the ranch he liked to chase suckers up Meadow Creek with rifles and shotguns.

He was in contact with his close friends in Pomeroy and Pullman throughout his life and kept them up to date on his activities when he had time. "His friends were forever."

His brother James Henry Freeburn died Nov. 2, 2015. James was born May 18, 1935, in Pomeroy.

Bruce is survived by a sister, Elizabeth Ann Freeburn (1947) in Tigard, Ore., a nephew Jimmie Shane Freeburn in Sandy Valley, Nev., and a niece Jeanna Freeburn Randolph of North Bend, Ore., plus grandnieces and nephews.