William Joseph Freeman

William Joseph "Bill" Freeman BILL FREEMAN painter, potter, collector, cowboy, naturalist, mentor and more passed peacefully on February 14 at 9:30 PM MST. He was 85., Born in North Carolina in 1927, Bill Freeman was raised in west Texas on a cotton and flower farm outside of El Paso. During his storied life he was a horse wrangler and worked for the US Forest Service. At age 30 he decided to pursue his love of painting and became a full time artist, specializing in Western landscapes. Within two years, his work was being shown in important art galleries throughout the west and across the country. In the late seventies, he discovered ancient pottery and left behind painting to become one of the foremost makers of ancient pottery and antiquity replicas as well as a leading restorer, authority and collector of ancient Native American and pre-Columbian art. Bill Freeman also believed life and talent was something to share. As a result he mentored many young artists on not only the craft of painting and pottery making, but also about the hows, whys and realities of being professional artists. Bill was surrounded by dear friends and family (blood and adopted) in the weeks leading up to his passing. Bill is survived by his nephew John Antweiler and wife Judy of Pompano Beach, FL and their children Jenny of Pompano Beach and son Andrew of Atlanta, GA, nephew Dennis Antweiler and his children Christopher, Brandon and Jamie of Aptos, CA, nephew Ray Antweiler and his children Melanie and Fort Myers, FL, and his dear adopted family: Jade Leyva of Placitas, NM, Diane Witcher and Sarah Webber of Jackson Hole, WY, Lee Brotherton of Cave Creek, AZ, Carol Swinney of Caspar, WY and Vern Crites of Cortez, CO. A memorial gathering is planned at String Lake in Jackson Hole in July. To view information or leave a condolence please visit www.danielsfuneral.com Daniels Family Funeral Services 3113 Carlisle Blvd NE Albuquerque, NM 87110 505-884-1188