John Dexter Freeman passed away on December 11, 2023 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born on January 19, 1942 to John and Jane Freeman in San Francisco.

Dex grew up in Martinez and graduated from Alhambra High School in 1959. After high school he joined the Army, working in the Signal Corps. After the Army he went to work for RCA on Thule Airbase in Greenland. Before leaving for Greenland he met the love of his life, Betty. While in Greenland, tragedy struck when the bowling alley burned down, so he left.

In 1967 he married Betty and returned to California. He got a job with IBM which he loved. In 1967 his first son, John, was born, followed by a daughter, Deanne, four years later and another son, Steven, four years after that. In 1978 he relocated with IBM to Humboldt County. In 1981 he bought his first satellite TV dish. Shortly after he started his own satellite TV business, Teledex Downlink. He retired from IBM in 1997 but continued with Teledex until his passing.

Throughout his life he was an avid bowler and was proud when he bowled a 300 game. He was a member of the Harbor Lanes Match Club and a past president of the Humboldt Men’s Bowling Association. He was a life member of the Elks Club and he was the Grand Chancellor of the Pythian’s for the state of California. He was a lifelong fan of the San Francisco Giants and 49ers. He loved fishing and going crabbing. He loved talking to people. If given half a chance he would get the life story of anyone he met.

He is survived by his wife Betty and his children John(Cynthia) Freeman, Deanne (Tim) Gomes, and Steven(Jennifer) Freeman as well as grandchildren Zack, Ambre, Nathan and Natalie Freeman, Lydia, Eliot, and Oliver Gomes and Alex and Finn Freeman.

There will be a celebration of life on January 19, 2024 at Harbor Lanes Bowling Alley at 6 p.m.