February 16, 1929-August 24, 2026

Mack Austin Freestone was born on February 16, 1929, to Oliver Marion Freestone and Vivian Beth Thayer Freestone in La Mesa, California. He was baptized on June 23, 1929 at the Free Methodist Church  in San Diego, California.  The family lived in Sunnyvale, California, for some time and moved to Hornbrook, California in 1932; in 1936, his father, Oliver, bought an apple orchard in Paradise, California so the family moved.  Mack attended grammar school in Paradise and high school in Chico, California.  He enlisted in the United States Navy right out of high school; his only assignment was with a Naval Air Transport Squadron in Honolulu, Hawaii.  His squadron was one of the two Navy squadrons to fly in the Berlin Airlift (also known as “Operation Vittles”).  While in the Navy, he reached the rank of Aviation Metalsmith Third, ASM3. After his Navy service he enlisted in the United States Air Force when the Korean War broke out.  He served as an instructor in the USAF A&E Mechanic School in Wichita Falls and Amarillo, Texas, where he received an honorary discharge. While in the Air Force he reached the rank of S/Sargeant (T). His military service time totaled seven years, five months active duty, with an additional six years in the United States Air Force Reserves.  While in the military, Mack received the World War II Victory Medal American Theatre, the Navy Occupation (Germany) Medal, the Berlin Airlift Device Medal, the 1st Class Good Conduct Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.

For a while Mack worked in civil aviation as a flight instructor, a charter pilot, a crop duster, and as a mechanic.  He then took employment in U.S. Civil Service and served as an Air Traffic Controller and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Safety Inspector in various FAA facilities ending his career in the Houston office with his retirement in August of 1990.

Mack met and subsequently married Barbara Blankenship in Cocoa Beach, Florida, on October 3, 1961.  They were married for 33 years until Barbara died from Non-small Cell Lung Cancer on September 11, 1994.  Mack and Barbara had two beautiful daughters; Leeanne Pandora Freestone was born in San Antonio, Texas, on January 16, 1964, and Jennifer Colleen Freestone was born in Conroe, Texas, on August 23, 1965.  Mack and the family moved to Friendswood in January of 1968 and became members of Hope Lutheran Church that year.  During his time as a member of Hope, he served as an Usher, a Stephen Minister, and as President of the Congregation.  After his retirement, Mack and Barbara traveled the United States in a motorhome with the occasional ocean voyage worked in. Three years after Barbara’s passing, Mack married Ruby Russel Metrejon at Hope Lutheran Church, Rev. Dr. Ralph Hobratschk presiding.  Ruby died in 2006 as the result of a massive stroke; Ruby and Mack had no children.

Mack is survived by his two daughters, his sister-in-law and her husband in Indiana, two nieces and their families in Indiana, a niece in Tennessee, a great nephew and his wife in Tennessee, a great niece in Alaska, a great niece and her family in Iowa, and several cousins in Iowa, Minnesota, Arizona, and Wyoming, along with numerous friends.  He was preceded in death by both parents, his sister Marian Freestone, his nephew, Arch Crouse, his grandparents, and his daughter-in-law Carolyn Jean Armstrong.  Mack died on August 24, 2026, at Reunion Court of Clear Lake.

Friends and Family are cordially invited to a Memorial Service at Hope Lutheran Church, 1804 S Friendswood Dr, Friendswood, TX 77546, on Saturday, September 5, 2026, with Visitation from 10:30-11:00 AM and the Service beginning at 11:00AM. His ashes will be interred in the Columbarium at Hope Lutheran Church.