East Palestine

Howard "Howdy" Oakley Freer, Jr., 80, passed away peacefully at his home Saturday morning November 27, 2021.

Howdy was born in East Palestine, Ohio on January 17, 1941, to the late Howard Oakley Sr. and

Mary Helen (Hughes) Freer.

He graduated from the East Palestine High School and enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served for two years as an Electronics Technician before being medically discharged.

He then continued a career in the electronics field until retirement. Howdy had a great love for cars, especially classic cars and those that went fast. His latest prized possession was his 1972 Ford Gran Torino.

Along with his parents, Howdy was preceded in death by his first wife Margaret Jean (Yoder) Freer and brother-in-law George S. (Bub) Watson.

He is survived by his wife Rebecca "Jean" (Dickson) Freer, his two children Tessa (Freer) Tanis and Tedd (Katherine) Freer, his two sisters Barbara (Freer) Watson and Bonita (Freer) Minamyer, his two brothers, Bruce Freer (Mary Ellen) and Brian Freer (Sandy), and grandchildren Farah Whitehead, Fallon Tanis, Leela Tanis, and Joshua Tanis.

A private family memorial service will be held on November 30, 2021, at Linsley-Royal Funeral Home in East Palestine with interment to follow at Glenview Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that memorial contributions be made in Howard's name to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) at www.donate.DAV.org