Tributes to former firefighter and Highland 4 Wheel Drive Club founder hailed by widow
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The groundswell of love and support shown towards a former Highland firefighter and founder of the popular Highland 4 Wheel Drive Club has been hailed by his widow.
Eddie Freeman (75), who was a leading firefighter in Inverness for several years, passed away last month aged 75.
And his widow Cath Hill-Freeman said the tributes to him at his funeral from friends, former colleagues, and even complete strangers, had been wonderfully touching.
"I was just absolutely touched and overwhelmed by the amount of love and support shown – it was absolutely fabulous," she said, adding mourners included former workmates with the fire service, and friends through the 4 Wheel Drive Club, who wished to pay tribute to him for his role in both organisations."
She added that she had also received many written tributes to Eddie from people who had not met him – and some of whom hadn't even been born when he started the club – but wanted to say something "because if it wasn't for him there'd be no 4 Wheel Drive Club".
"He was still a member all the way through but not an active member due to health. But he still kept in touch and kept an interest."
She added: "He had friends all over the world. Once he made a friend they stayed friends."
Mr Freeman, who lived in Kiltarlity for more than 30 years and had lived in the Highlands since 1978, was born in Leicester in 1948 to parents Donald and Lillian.
After schooling at Leicester City Boys Grammar School he entered his working life as an apprentice draftsman, then moved on to work in Leicester Police Control Unit before switching to the fire service in Leicester.
He later transferred to the Highlands in 1978 with his first wife Lyndis, and was based in Inverness as the leading fireman driving the appliances. He first lived in Culbokie and then later Evanton, but settled in Kiltarlity 32 years ago. He met his wife Cath in 1991.
Eddie's career as a fireman later took him to a role at Nigg around 1984/85 before ultimately moving into offshore work, first for Brit Oil and then BP as a fire safety officer leading the fire team.
His role took him to several platforms before ultimately being based permanently on Buchan Alpha. However, he had to retire due to ill heath in 1993.
Despite his early retirement he was well known within the region both through his firefighting career and his role as the founder of the Highland 4 Wheel Drive Club. He was also a fan of equestrianism and, despite his ill health preventing him riding he continued to keep horses at his home as "he loved to be around them". His love of equestrianism was one he shared with Cath, who he supported as she competed and travelled with her horses.
A passionate fan of Land Rovers of which he had many – even once completely rebuilding and refurbishing one from scratch – he founded the 4 Wheel Drive Club in 1985 having been surprised to find that a region like the Highlands did not already have one.
He hired a room in the Beaufort Hotel and took out an advert in The Inverness Courier to advertise a meeting to discuss launching one, Cath explained, "and it just went from there".
His love of Land Rovers and the 4 Wheel Drive Club were reflected in his unique coffin, which was covered in pictures of Land Rovers off-roading.
He was also a cartoonist and used to contribute caricature cartoons to the club and its Facebook page.
His other interests also included photography, archaeology, history, walking groups and DIY.
Much like his work on Land Rovers, he was interested in DIY "in a serious way", Cath said, adding "he could make and mend just about anything, from woodwork to metal work to plumbing".
His biggest such project was the conversion of an old stone steading into the cottage in which Cath still lives.
Cath added that there were many moving memories of Eddie shared at his funeral, including from a retired fireman who she had never met before but said he had worked with Eddie and wanted to be there because "I never forgot him, he was such a nice man". She wanted to thank all those who took the time to be there, and would like to encourage all who she had not been able to chat to for long during the service to get in touch.
