Kathleen W. McGuire

Kathleen (Kate) Willard McGuire of Shaker Heights, OH, a determined and fiercely independent woman who encouraged everyone to follow their own path, passed away peacefully on July 25, 2024, surrounded by her loving family.

Kate was born August 20, 1948 in Letterman Army Hospital at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA. Her family then moved to Westfield, NJ and she graduated from Westfield High School in 1966. In her own version of rebellion against her multigenerational Army family, she enlisted in the Air Force and was sworn in by her father as soon as she turned 18. Kate served in the Air Force for three years with duty in Texas, Michigan, and Hawaii, and was discharged with the rank of sergeant. In 1969, she married Chuck Anderson, whom she met in the Air Force, and they settled in Idaho. They then moved to Corvallis, OR where she studied Home Economics at Oregon State University intending to become a teacher.

After that marriage ended, Kate moved back to Westfield, where, with the loving support of her family, she welcomed her first child Beth.

In 1977, Kate and Beth moved to Charlottesville for Kate to forge her own path. There, she met the love of her life, Robert (Bob) Freeborn. They were married in 1981 at the former home of President James Monroe, Ash Lawn. They soon welcomed their son Dan and moved to Binghamton NY, where she became involved in advocating for adaptive accommodations for children with physical needs.

Their next adventure took the family to Shaker Heights, OH, where they welcomed their daughter Erin.

Kate wore many hats and had jobs ranging from employment counselor, home economics teacher, and freelance writer, to managing her own vintage storefront in the very early days of eBay.

One of Kate’s great interests was travel, and she and Bob continued to have adventures near and far. A favorite weekend activity would include spending hours driving the countryside, stopping at any local farmers markets and visiting Ohio parks, museums, and historical landmarks. They also visited Ireland and Canada and made cross-country road-trips, especially to various East Coast towns.

Kate was an extraordinary woman who took on every challenge she faced with determination, resolve, and good humor. While the last few years were challenging, she was not about to let that get in the way of having a good time. Though Kate’s journey has ended, her example of living life to the fullest will live on.

Beloved wife of Robert C. Freeborn; loving mother of Beth A. Freeborn (Jason Hulbert) of Washington D.C., Daniel R. Freeborn of Shaker Hts. and Erin K. Freeborn of Eaton, OH; devoted grandmother of Eleanor and Ada Rose Hulbert; dear sister of Robert Willard (Carolyn) of Oxnard, CA, John Willard (Paula Ochs) of West Orange, NJ and Thomas Willard of Rochester, NY. The family prefers that those who wish may make contributions in her name to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org). A celebration of Kate’s life will be held at 11am on Wednesday, July 31 at Brown-Forward, 17022 Chagrin Blvd, Shaker Hts., OH. FRIENDS MAY CALL AT BROWN-FORWARD ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE SERVICE. Interment, Concord Twp. Cemetery.