Arthur T. Freiberger
Celebration of Life Memorial Services for Arthur T. Freiberger, 73, of Champaign, will be held at 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011, at Heath and Vaughn Funeral  Home, 201 N. Elm, Champaign. The family will greet friends at 11 a.m. until service time.
Mr. Freiberger passed away at 7:15 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011, at his home in Champaign.
He was born May 24, 1938, the son of Arthur A. and Celeste (Humphries) Freiberger. He married Ruby Madden in 1966. She passed away Feb. 27, 2003. He married Carol Price on June 2, 2006, in Urbana. She survives.
Also surviving is a sister, Pam (Rick) Copeland, of Folsom, Calif.; 2 brothers-in-law, Marty (Andrea) Poling of Champaign, and Mike Poling of Blue Mound, Ill.; 2 nieces, Courtney Nolen and Joanna Nolen of Folsom, Calif.; 2 stepdaughters, Lesley Woodard of Cherokee Village, Ark., and Stephanie (Rod) Burkhead, of Rice Lake, Wis.; special adopted daughter, Darcie (Steve) Fox, of Champaign; 3 step-grandsons, Will (Courtney) Jarrett of Highland, Ark., Ryan Jarrett of Cherokee Village, Ark., and Tanner Burkhead of Rice Lake, Wis.; 2 step-granddaughters, Kirsten Woodard of Cherokee Village, Ark., and Taylor Burkhead of Rice Lake, Wis.; and 3 step-great-grandchildren, Hunter, Kyndil, and Emmitt of Highland, Ark.; his beloved dogs, Meho and Zaine; and many close friends and neighbors.
 He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Ruby Freiberger, and a stepson, Don Madden.
Art (Thornton) graduated from Champaign High School in 1956.
Art retired from Illinois Central Railroad and Southern Pacific Railroad as a machinist. He co-managed a drag strip in Farmington, New Mexico, where he also owned and raced dragsters and helped maintain them. While in New Mexico he was a mounted police officer. He retired in California after more than 30 years as a Commercial Refrigeration Union Mechanic.
Ruby and he moved back to Champaign to help care for his mother and father. They lived in the same neighborhood where he grew up.
He got his Real Estate license; and then because of his knowledge of computers, he was employed by the Champaign County Association of Realtors as a computer technician and education director. He retired from there when he became sick. He loved his job there because he had such a passion for computers and electronic items.
His hobbies included working with computers, the NRA, and drag racing. He was a fan of Illini sports, the Cubs, NASCAR, and the Bears.
He will be forever loved and missed and with us always.
Memorial contributions in Art’s name may be made to the Carle Hospice Program, 206A W. Anthony Dr., Champaign, IL 61822, and the Champaign County Humane Society, 1911 E. Main, Urbana, IL 61802.
Online condolences to the family may be offered at www.HeathandVaughn.com.
Condolences
It is a long way out here to Raleigh, N.C., not only in miles but also in years, from the Champaign High School days for the CHS Class of 1956.
This note comes to you from Virginia Temple, Thornton's classmate. First, of course, I want to express my sorrow at his passing...and my heart-felt condolences to you. But also, having just read your fine obituary for him, I want to join in to celebrate with you the joy of his well-lived, well-loved life.
My hope and great wish for you is that you will retain forever many, many lovely memories of Thornton’s time with you...and that those memories will help you through this immediate time of sorrow...and always.
Because I somehow still had my 1956 Maroon at hand, I looked up Thornton’s entry for our senior class section. There he was, just as I remembered him. Handsome, with a gentle, kind look in his eye. The comment for him seems so appropriate 55+ years later: “A mischievous twinkle in his eye, we all think he's a regular guy.”
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Virginia Temple Lawler
Raleigh, NC
|
