William Doyle Freeman

William Doyle Freeman entered this world on March 3, 1930, and left on March 26, 2026. Known as “Doyle” to the family and “Bill” to all his customers, friends, and business associates. He was born in Dustin, Oklahoma, the son of E.T Freeman and Adella Brown. He was just 6 years old when his father left the family that included him, his mother, and his older sister Lavoy Richards, and two brothers: L.H. Freeman and Gerald Freeman. He credited his stepfather, Eual Dillon, with providing a strict but positive influence in his life. They have all predeceased him. Eual not only provided for this new family but also gave him two sisters, Jolene Couch of Pocola, OK and Naomi Phillips of Ft. Smith, AR and a brother, Wayne Dillon of Sallisaw, OK, that all survive him. The three of them were always very important in his life right up to the end. He was also predeceased by his wife, Zada B. Freeman, granddaughter, Tammy Lambert, brother Wayne Freeman and sister Cynthia Wilsey Freeman. He is survived by his two children, daughter Myria Chadic and her husband Stanley Chadic of Coweta, OK, and son Duane Freeman and his partner in life Alisa Hall of Tulsa, OK; five grandchildren: Sharon and husband John Northen, Ricky Chadic, Allen Chadic and his wife Ginger, Brian Chadic and Alex Freeman; ten great-grandchildren, twenty-four great-great-grandchildren; and his “best buddy” these last years of his life, Barbara “Jill” Poindexter. 

Coming up during the Great Depression and in the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma meant he had to grow up fast. Bill’s education was in a one room school in Blanco, OK. Upon completing the eighth grade, he quit school to work on local farms picking whatever crop was ready to help support the family. Those who grew up with him said even as a young boy he was the best “Cotton Picker” they ever saw. As a teenager he and his stepfather, Eual, hopped the freight trains crossing the country to work the fields of California. The first trip they were caught by the “Bull” somewhere in Arizona and kicked off to return home. They didn’t give up and eventually rode the rails back to southern California to earn money in the fields to send back home. 

Oak Lodge country church in Spiro, OK was founded by his grandfather, Reverend J H Brown, and it was always an important part of his life. He attended the church as much as he could throughout his life. The distance from his home became a real challenge as he aged. He was fortunate to have his friend David Ellis drive him there every other Sunday these last several years. With David’s help he was able to attend right up to the last Sunday before he fell. Oak Lodge is where at the age of 14, he met the love of his life, Zada B. Waggoner. Married in 1950, the first years they lived in Ft. Smith, AR but like many Okies moved to California seeking a better life. He worked several factory jobs such as Hunt’s Ketchup and Kwikset Lock at first. He always desired to start his own company and the construction boom in southern California gave him the chance. Calling on his brothers, brothers-in-law, and anyone else he could convince to come West to join him, he started “scrapping houses”. Cleaning up after the spray men that textured walls and ceilings in the new construction, he could see that texturing was an even bigger opportunity. He formed Freeman Products Inc. and in no time was spraying texture in houses and apartments across the Los Angeles area. The company soon grew large enough that he began making his own spray texture material. But even though he was prospering there, the Watt’s riots of 1964 convinced him it was time to return to Oklahoma to raise his family. Just as he sold the texturing and manufacturing business, Mr. Bill Moore of Kelly-Moore Paint Company offered him a job in developing spray textures and selling drywall materials for the Paco Division of K-M. He took the job but on two conditions; someday he would be able to start up a plant in Oklahoma and he could hunt and fish as much as time allowed. He went to work for Kelly-Moore in 1966, starting first in Hurst, TX and then on to the K-M operation in Houston, TX. As per the agreement with Mr. Moore, in 1969 he started a K-M joint treatment plant in Tulsa, OK and in 1975 moved the plant to Broken Arrow, OK. He worked relentlessly to expand the business in the surrounding region, driving 100k miles per year for multiple years. He was very influential in the expansion of the drywall industry across the Southwest during this time. His desire to run his own business never left him and for a few years built houses in Broken Arrow operating as B & F Construction while still working for K-M. By 1978, he once again wanted to operate his own drywall business. Mr. Moore didn’t want the plant in OK without him, so a sale was agreed to and on January 1, 1979, Freeman Products, Inc., opened for business. It grew quickly, adding a distribution store in Oklahoma City that first year and by 1987 had an additional production plant in Houston, TX and store locations in Austin, TX, Baton Rouge, LA, Murfreesboro, TN, Nashville, TN, and Tulsa, OK. The oil bust of that time drastically affected the region and adjustments were made in the next few years. The Broken Arrow plant and the stores in Baton Rouge, LA, and Oklahoma City, OK remain in operation today. While he reduced his role in the company over the next few years, he remained actively involved until his late 80’s. He thoroughly enjoyed seeing customers and hosting events such as the annual Crawfish Boil held in Baton Rouge, LA for the last 40 plus years. 

Bill loved his family, his Freeman family of employees and customers, hunting and fishing, and his garden. The family went camping, hunting, fishing and traveled the world with him throughout his life. Zada, his wife, was his perfect match, supporting him in his many endeavors and his keeper when needed to be. They were incredibly devoted to each other for their 74 plus years of marriage. He was so proud of the large extended family that surrounded him. He was a driving force in continuing the annual Freeman family gathering at Lake Eufaula each July. Hunting and fishing were two of the most enjoyable things of his life, both taking him to many parts of the Americas including Alaska, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. Freeman customers were always more than that, they were his lifelong friends and partners in hunting and fishing. The Freeman Products Fishing Tournament started when the company began in 1979. It has been held every year but for 2020, the most recent at Table Rock Lake on April 4, 2026. He loved hunting even more than fishing. Many days were spent in the mountains of Arkansas and Colorado along with the hunting lease in Oklahoma. One of his greatest adventures was doing the elk count ride with the local Game Rangers and his hunting buddies across the Colorado mountains. Packing in with horses for multiple weeks of riding, camping, and fishing in the rivers and lakes they found, it was heaven on earth to him. One of his biggest joys of all these trips was being with the people around him. He had so many stories to tell and he really loved that everyone enjoyed hearing them. He grew a garden most of his life, always more than the family could eat, it made him so happy to provide for others too. He lived as full of a life as one can have up to his last, spending his last day driving his “buggy” around his property. The happiest place he could be was anywhere outdoors on the move! 

Viewing to be held on April 6, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Schaudt Funeral Home, located at 5757 S. Memorial Drive, Tulsa, OK. 

Service to be held on April 7, 2026, at 11:00 am at First Baptist Church Sallisaw, located at 122 W. Chickasaw Ave, Sallisaw, OK. Livestream of the service will be available on the First Baptist Church Sallisaw Facebook page for those who are not able to attend. 

The family asks for donations to the Alzheimer’s Association in lieu of flowers.