Ronald Freeze

Ronald Wilburn Freeze was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee on February 14, 1943, to Mr. Rufus (Bubba) Wilburn Freeze and Mrs. Florine Tucker Freeze.

Ron's childhood and early adult life were filled with times spent with his family in Columbus, Georgia, where his family was well-known in many social circles around Columbus. Ron and his older sister, Dianne, spent much of their childhood traveling around the country with their parents. The family was tight-knit, and Ron grew up surrounded by family members that loved and cared for him.

Ron's mom was a homemaker while his father worked for The DuPont Company throughout his life. Ron was a Boy Scout and eventually attended Auburn University where he graduated on August 24, 1965. His love for Auburn University never went away. He was an avid Auburn fan, often sporting Auburn collegiate-wear wherever he went. At the age of 22, Ron enlisted in the United States Army in 1966 and served as a sharpshooter. He was honorably discharged from the Army in December of 1971. Ron met and married Joy Tucker Freeze and the two moved to Birmingham where they resided for the remainder of their lives. At the time of his wedding, Ron was employed with the Tom Huston Company. Ron and Joy together welcomed two daughters, Bethany and Leslie.

After his time in the military, it is believed that Ron went to work for John-Paul Mitchell as a sales director. Ron sold hair and beauty products across the Southeast, and from several accounts greatly enjoyed this line of work. In 1985, Ron's wife, Joy, passed away after a brief battle with ovarian cancer. Ron then assumed the role of both "mom" and "dad" to their two young daughters. Ron was a doting father and did everything he could to provide for his girls. Both Bethany and Leslie as teenagers were employed at the Riverchase Galleria, where Ron eventually worked as a security guard. In 1998, Florine Tucker Freeze, Ron's mother, died at her home in Slidell, Louisiana. Sadly, tragedy would continue to strike Ron after the death of his wife and mother, when both of his daughters died in 1999 from different forms of cancer. Ron was devastated at losing both of his daughters within six months of each other. After the passing of both Bethany and Leslie, Ron seemingly kept to himself.

Ron spent much of his time during retirement in Hoover and surrounding areas where he would frequent the Riverchase Galleria, Brookwood Mall and local libraries. He would walk the malls during the daytime hours, interacting with many people at the malls each day. Ron's presence became very well- known at each of these places. Many have stories of interactions with him over the last three decades.

There are numerous stories from people within the community sharing of Ron's kindness, generosity, and approachable demeanor. Stories of him taking cookies and candy to mall employees, stories of him recounting his days in the Army, stories of him knowing Elvis Presley. So many stories of his life, yet he remains a mystery to most who knew him or of him. With his jet-black sideburns and his affinity for Elvis, he became known to many as the "Galleria Elvis." For many it was a joy to continually spot Ron walking around the Riverchase Galleria. Some have stories of seeing Ron at the Brookwood Mall in the mornings and he would be seen later that same day at the Riverchase Galleria. Ron seemingly felt comfortable at these places that he frequented regularly.

While a lot of Ron's life is unknown, there are many who loved him. The community and City of Hoover have revered him as a local icon and legend. The amount of love and support shown to Ron since his passing has been nothing short of amazing.

Services for Ron will be held Wednesday September 25, 2024, at Currie-Jefferson Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 10 am-11 am with a service to follow at 11am.