Richard "Rick" W. Freeman

Richard “Rick” Wayne Freeman, 69, of Reidsville, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, December 27, 2025 at Annie Penn Hospital after a brave fight with cancer. 

A graveside service will be held Wednesday, January 7, 2025 at Reidlawn Cemetery at 11:00 am with Rev. Lyle Milligan officiating. There will be no formal visitation. 

Rick was born to the late Jack Arnold Freeman and Mary Anne Smith Freeman in Rockingham County. He graduated from Reidsville High School in 1974 and UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.

Rick led a highly successful career as a radio personality, voiceover talent, and producer. Since 1976, he was a voiceover talent globally, nationally and locally, voicing commercials, promos and imaging for radio and television, on-hold and voicemail phone messages, real estate tours, corporate training productions, and podcasts. His voiceover work also included Learfield, the leading media company in college athletics, where he voiced ads for Touchstone Energy, NC State sports and others. He worked for many radio and TV stations through the years including, WUNC TV, WFRC in Reidsville, WCBX in Eden, WKIX in Raleigh, WQRB in Burlington, WDCG G105 in Durham, WRAL-FM Mix 101.5 in Raleigh and Capital Broadcasting Company in Raleigh.

He is known worldwide as the creator and host of “Carolina Classic Hits” featuring 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s music which ran online for 13 years. While running, the show was in the top 10 in worldwide listenership for hobby internet radio stations and was featured in Radio World magazine for his complex broadcasting formats and automation. During his career he was also a successful real estate broker with Coldwell Banker in Raleigh. His love for the Lord led him to become an Emergency Chaplain and he witnessed for Christ on many mission trips to Peru, Sri Lanka, China, South Africa, Toronto, Puerto Rico and Haiti.

Along with his parents, he is preceded in death by grandparents Fred D and Inez Faulkner Smith, John Moten and Louise Mae Love Freeman; aunt Judy Smith Land and husband Benny; uncles Bill Freeman, Ronald Freeman, and Jack Knight. He is survived by aunts Nancy Smith Knight, Martha Freeman, and Sylvia Freeman; uncle Cecil Freeman and wife Debbie; and several cousins.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Emergency Chaplains located at 3218 N Roxboro St, Durham, NC 27704.