Volume LI | Issue 3
20
In Memoriam
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MELVIN ARTHUR (ART) BUDDEN November 9, 1931 – August 14, 2021 Melvin Arthur Budden entered his Heavenly home August 14, 2021. He was born to Vera and Melvin Budden in Syracuse, NY on November 9, 1931. Art was a practicing radiologist in Lansing for 32 years. Retirement years were spent at the Mooring in Vero Beach, FL and on Walloon Lake in Petoskey, MI.
He graduated from the University of Rochester, Medical University of NY at Syracuse and residency at Wayne State University. Art was a devoted family man, compassionate physician, and dedicated church member. He served as clerk of session and elder in the Presbyterian Church. He was an AMA Member, MI State Med Society, Ingham County Med Society (Past President), American College of Radiology (Past President), Med Staff Ingham Regional Medical Hospital (Past President), Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and East Lansing Rotary Club.
His personality was once of loving support for his family. His word was honored and respected. He strove for excellence in his practice. Art is survived by his loving wife, Jean Jackson Budden, children Laura Fenton (Patrick) and Douglas Budden (Joan), grandchildren Gregory Fenton, Reed Fenton (Nicole), Adam Fenton (Kaitlyn), Sarah Pennington, Andrew Pennington, Mitchell Budden, and Megan Budden. He was preceded in death by his daughter Emily Budden Pennington.
WILLIAM (BILL) ASHLEY FREEHAN November 29, 1941 - August 19, 2021 William (Bill) Ashley Freehan, 79, died on August 19, 2021. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Bill was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Helen and Ashley Freehan on November 29, 1941. He spent his elementary years in Royal Oak, Michigan, and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, for high school where he met Patricia (Patte) Ann O’Brien when they were both freshmen. After graduating from Bishop Barry High School in 1959, he graduated from University of Michigan where he played football and baseball, earning All-American honors in baseball. He signed with the Detroit Tigers in 1961 where he played for 15 years, winning 5 Gold Gloves, 11 All-Star appearances, and one World Series in 1968.
He married his high school sweetheart, Patte, in 1963. Bill served as a player representative for the Detroit Tigers for many years and was instrumental in the founding of the Major League Baseball Players Association and hiring their own Executive Director to bargain with the owners so that they established some guidelines to protect the players and set up their pensions in healthcare. When Bill retired from baseball after the 1975 season, he formed a manufacturers representative company, Freehan-Bocci. He worked in the automotive industry until 1989 when he left to become the head baseball coach at the University of Michigan until 1995. As an active member of the Catholic Church throughout his life, Bill was involved in many charities, including Special Olympics, Wertz Warriors, March of Dimes, and Catholic Charities. While it was still the March of Dimes, Bill was a chairman in
Detroit for several years and led the walk to raise money. For years, Bill also led Wertz’s Warriors which was a snowmobile trip crisscrossing Northern Michigan to collect money. The money raised helped fund the Special Olympics, where Bill took part in the opening ceremonies at Schuss Mountain. When Camp Daggett used to have a summer camp for children with cancer, Bill often went over there with friends and played kickball with the kids. He also loved taking his chainsaw whenever he got the call from Al Damschroder to help maintain the WLAC preserve trails. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Patte, and daughters Corey Daul (Steve), Kelley Salter (John), and Cathy Jo Ryan (Chris), and grandchildren Blaise, Ashley, Will, Allison, Harrison, Justin and Sophie. He is survived by his siblings Robert Freehan (Joan), Richard Freehan (Carole), and Mary Paciorek (Randy), and several nieces and nephews.