John ‘Jack’ Freker Sr.

Longtime Florida resident, formerly of Malden, at 86

  John C. “Jack” Freker Sr., of Stuart, FL. and formerly of Malden, MA, and Charlestown, MA, passed away peacefully on July 10, 2022. He was 86 years old.
Jack was born in 1936 in Presque Isle, ME, and lived there for several years and then in Long Island, NY before moving to Charlestown, MA He was a Charlestown High School graduate, Class of 1954, and excelled on the school’s basketball and baseball teams.
After high school he served active duty for two years in the U.S. Army and continued to live in Charlestown, beginning a family there before moving to Malden in 1965. There he lived for nearly 30 years while raising his family of six children. He also lived in Saugus for several years.
Mr. Freker began working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the mid-1960s, where he was employed in the MIT stockroom, eventually rising to supervisor, while also taking night classes at Northeastern University and working a second job with the US Postal Service.
In 1969, he began working in the subcontracting department at MIT Instrumentation Laboratory which was later named the Dr. Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, internationally known for developing the computer guidance systems for the Apollo Space missions under the direction of NASA.
Mr. Freker continued to be employed at Draper Lab for the remainder of his working years, becoming supervisor of the subcontracting department until his retirement in 1998, nearly 40 years with MIT and Draper.
Jack, as he was known to his friends and family, had a full life, raising his large family in Malden.  He always put a lot of effort into making holidays a special time for his family, and presided over summer outings to Canobie Lake Park in NH, serving as grill master for family cookouts, and for several years spending vacation time in Wells Beach, ME.
Jack loved competitive and recreational sports, which he passed on to his children.  He prided himself on being a lifelong athlete, playing basketball into his 60s and competitive, slow-pitch and fast-pitch softball for many years, into his 70s, in Malden men’s leagues and later, after moving to Florida in 1998, where he played in 3 leagues simultaneously and where he made his home until his passing. He was also an avid skier and traveler, with his wife “Kitty,” often visiting some of the most well-known ski slopes in the U.S., favoring Squaw Valley, Jackson Hole, and Aspen. He particularly enjoyed traveling to Aruba where he and his wife recently counted more than 20 visits.
He was a member of the MIT Quarter Century Club and was fond of gardening, DIY home repair projects, and capturing great deals via couponing. rk. Later in life, after moving to Florida, he developed a love of boating and liked to refer to himself as “Captain Jack”.  He and his wife doted on their cat, “Maxx”.
Jack was the beloved husband of Katherine “Kitty” Atwood of Stuart, Fla., and the son of the late Albert E. Sr. and Charlene M. (Tompkins) Freker.  He was the father of John C. “Jack” Freker Jr. and his wife Leidy Suarez of Miami Beach, FL, Steve Freker of Malden, Gary Freker and his wife Lisa (Scarlett) of Lowell, Karen Freker, and her partner Wendy Ziesemann of Shrewsbury, Linda Freker of Conroe, TX and Michael Freker and his wife Jennifer Stafford of Denville, New Jersey.
He was the brother of Marie Mendes of Boston, Albert E. Freker Jr. and his wife Margaret (“Peggy”) of Chelmsford, David Freker and his wife Louise of Tucson, AZ, and Cheryl Freker and her husband Ray of Georgia. He was the grandfather of John C. Freker III, Beau Freker, Angela Freker, Ryan Freker, Ashley Freker, Brodie Freker, Hunter Freker and the newest addition, six-week-old Abigail Suarez Freker.  He was the great-grandfather of Eliza Freker, Olympia Freker, and Felix Freker and leaves many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Jack also leaves the mother of his children, and his first wife, Marjorie A. Freker, of Chelmsford, MA with whom he was married for 33 years.
The family requests that those who knew Jack to please take a moment and cherish a happy memory of time spent with him through the years, of which there were many. Services are private.  A celebration of Jack’s life will be held Saturday, July 30 from 2-5 PM at Anthony’s, 105 Canal St. in Malden, MA. All friends are welcome to join the extended Freker family for food and beverages and celebrate his life, and the impact he had on so many.
As a tribute to Jack’s inimitable personality and style, casual attire and summer wear is the preferred dress of the day, all are welcome and encouraged to attend.
A guestbook where messages and condolences may be offered is available online at: www.treasurecoastseawinds.com