Obituary of John H. Freed

John Howard Freed, PhD

John Howard Freed passed away in Denver, Colorado, on March 5, 2026; he was 82. A distinguished immunologist, academic leader, and lifelong lover of music, John devoted more than five decades to scientific research and the training of future scientists and physicians.

He was born on March 10, 1943, in New Brighton, Pennsylvania, to Howard “Hank” and Harriet Freed. He moved with his family to Butler, Pennsylvania, when he was three and a half years old. The family lived with his grandparents for the next ten years. He was notorious for making mischief with his many cousins. While there, he started piano lessons at age five and continued to play into adulthood.

John and his family moved to Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1957. He attended Strong Vincent High School, where he won the science fair in ninth grade for building a solar furnace and graduated as class valedictorian in 1961.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1965 and a PhD in organic chemistry from Stanford University, where he met and married Debora, a native of San Francisco. He completed postdoctoral training in immunology at Stanford and a second postdoctoral fellowship at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

In 1976, John began his academic career as a faculty member in the Department of Biophysics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he spent seven years conducting research and teaching. His work focused on immunology and microbiology, and he made many contributions to research in these fields. His two children, Peter and Emily, were born during his years in Baltimore.

John and his family moved to Denver in 1983 where he joined the National Jewish Medical and Research Center. There, John led a laboratory in basic immunology research for 23 years. During this time, he was also affiliated with the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, contributing to both scientific discovery and the education of future scientists and physicians.

In addition to his research, John was deeply committed to academic leadership and mentorship. He served as Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (later the University of Colorado Anschutz) for 11 years, guiding and supporting generations of graduate students and helping shape the institution’s scientific training programs. He was also a member of the immunology faculty during this time. John attempted to retire after this position but was subsequently convinced to take the position of Interim Chair of the Sociology Department at the University of Colorado Denver until he fully retired in 2013. After retiring, he served as Chair of the University of Colorado Anschutz Retired Faculty Association.

John was a lifelong learner whose curiosity extended far beyond the laboratory. He followed the news closely and was an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction. He had a deep love of classical music and frequently attended concerts. He also enjoyed traveling. and spending time in nature, especially camping with his children, skiing, and hiking—activities that created many lasting memories with his family. His travels took him to, among other places, Israel, Jordan, Italy, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Cuba.

John is survived by his wife Debora; children Peter (Allison) and Emily (Joel); his grandchildren Franny and Aviva; and his sister Katie Fliegler (David).

Services will be held at Feldman Mortuary at 12:30 pm on Sunday, March 8. Livestream will be available on Feldman Mortuary YouTube Channel. Interment will follow immediately at Rose Hill Cemetery.

Shiva will be held at the Freed house on Sunday and Monday from 4-7pm, with a service at 6pm. On Tuesday shiva will be held from 4-7pm, with a recitation of Kaddish at 6pm.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in John’s memory may be made to B’nai Havurah, the Pinhead Institute in Telluride, Colorado (395 E Colorado Ave #101, Telluride, CO 81435), or a charity of your choice.