Tributes

Ronald "Bones" Eugene Free was born in Geneva, Alabama on July 24, 1941, to Albert Eugene Free and Winifred Nichols Free. He passed from this earth on October 26, 2020. Bones was the ultimate University of Alabama fan taking great delight in ribbing friends and family who might have been rooting for the “other side” with a hearty “Roll Tide”! Friends and family were at the heart of who Bones was. Having stayed in touch with all his buddies he grew up with in Geneva, he and Dawn made a yearly trek for high school reunions rewriting history to be the way we all want to remember the good old days. The game of golf was second nature for Bones that spanned years of rounds with a multitude of friends and family. Recently smiling on all those memories, he could remember every shot his brother-in-law Buddy, had on #16 in 1988. He could, as most golfers can, turn an ordinary round from days gone by into an epic event that made anybody want to pick up the game. His sales career started at Gilstrap Drug Store as a soda jerk, no doubt upselling every order with extra whipped cream and a cherry on top. His years as a salesman made him a true road warrior, hitting every mom and pop store and big retailer between Texas and North Carolina. Whether he would have admitted it or not, his love for music likely began sitting on the front row of First Baptist Church of Geneva with his sister, Connie, under the watchful eye of his mom and dad during their choir practice. He began playing the trumpet in junior high where he also discovered his rich baritone voice. Upon graduation from high school, he was rewarded with a full scholarship in music to Perkinston College. Ray Charles, The Platters, Elvis, and anything Motown were some of his favorites that filled long days on the road and special moments with his family. Bones loved his family well and is survived by wife Dawn Orr Free, daughter Erica Smith, son Tim Free, stepsons Eugene (Tres) Vaughan and his wife Teresa, Patrick Vaughan his wife Bronwyn, and stepdaughter Erin Bass and her husband Gregg. Grandchildren Devin Carroll and her husband Chris, Cody Smith, and his wife Kalyn, Drew Free, Lindsey Smith, Owen Vaughan, Samuel Vaughan, Madeline Bass, Greg Bass III, and Tyler Suhling. Great-grandchildren Julius Rosales and Charlotte Suhling. His sister Connie Grantham and her husband Buddy. Nieces Paige Lehane and her husband Danny and their children Brannon, Brady, Claire, and Colleen. Shannon Moseley and her husband Jerry and their children Will and Grant. He is preceded in death by his parents and his first wife Helen Broussard Free. A celebration of Bones' life will be held at 11:30 am on Monday, November 2, 2020, at Rest Haven Memorial Park-The Grove officiated by Pastor Dretha Burris. Masks and social distancing will be required for everyone attending the service indoors, and outdoors. Please make sure to wear a mask that fits properly. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to one of Bones’ favorite charities, Stephen Siller’s Tunnel to Towers Foundation. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation www.tunnel2towers.org 2361 Hylan Blvd. Staten Island, NY 10306 718-987-1931

Tributes

Ronald "Bones" Eugene Free

July 24, 1941 - October 26, 2020