Vernie Edward Freeman II
To know Ed is to know that he was a dedicated, driven, dependable person who was always willing to put others’ needs ahead of his own. Ed was a man of few words. If Ed spoke, it was either to tell you what’s what (he was sassy and he knew it), or to tell you a “great” joke, at which he himself would laugh the hardest. Ed was his own fashion icon, taking cues from no one. Ed felt especially dapper in two oddly particular combinations: a black suit with a red tie or a pair of green cargo shorts with an orange shirt. However, Ed’s tie preference varied if it was a day on which he would be attending an event of one of his three children. Regardless of the child’s proximity to adulthood, Ed preferred to wear his “I Love My Daddy” tie.
     Three of Ed’s greatest achievements took place on August 18, 1987; February 3, 1991; and February 18, 2000, the days on which his three kids were born. Ed loved his children so much, and was so proud of all of their accomplishments. On any given day, you could tell he had received good news about one of the three children based solely on, as he would put it, his “shit eating grin”. Ed never missed an event in which his kids were participating.
     There was nothing that Ed liked to do more than fish. It did not matter what kind of fish, just as long as a rod and reel were involved. Some of the best conversations took place on Ed’s boat with “Papaw” (his father-in-law). Trolling in that boat down the Sipsey River looking for rainbow trout was a newfound love of Ed’s.
     Ed graduated from Samford University in 1983, Cumberland School of Law in 1986 and became a lawyer in Bessemer, Alabama where he practiced with the utmost integrity until the day he died. The best endorsement a lawyer can receive is that of his clients, and those blessed to retain Ed Freeman as counsel respect, recommend, and vouch for his character, competence, and work ethic. For over three decades, he passionately represented his clients while upholding the strong ethical standards congruent with a lawyer of his stature, building a reputation as both a fierce advocate and, more importantly, an honorable man.
     Ed entered the world on September 4, 1961 and left it on August 15, 2018.
     Ed is survived by his wife of 35 years, Suzanne, son, Jared, daughter, Brooke-Anne (“Rat”), son, Will, brother, Danny Baron (Kay), mother, Shirlianne, niece, Rachel Reyes, nephew, Bobby, and all of the people whom encountered throughout his life.