Philip Alan Freedman, 88, passed away the morning of December 24, after a brief illness. Born in Brooklyn in 1935 to Harry and Laurie Freedman, Phil devoted his career to medicine and his family. He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, JoAnne Freedman; his children and their spouses, Beth and Peter Stackpole of West Newbury, MA; Bill and Caroline Freedman of Emerson, NJ; Jon and Doris Freedman, of North Salem, NY; and his eight precious grandchildren, Kyle, Sara, Jake, Max, Carrie, Samie, Alyssa, and Daniella.

After graduating from Union College in 1956, Phil attended NYU Medical School and completed his internship and residency at NYU-Bellevue Hospital in New York. Phil entered the army in 1965 as a captain in the medical corps and after a stint in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, headed to Vietnam for a tour, serving as the head of a Mobile Army Surgical Unit (MASH). Once back from Vietnam, Phil put down roots at Hudson Valley Hospital in Cortlandt Manor, NY, where he built a practice focused on general and vascular surgery. During his tenure there, from 1967 to 1994, Phil played a key role on the medical board and held the chief of surgery post. In the capstone to his career, Phil was Chief of Surgery at the VA Hospital in West Palm Beach, FL, from 1994 to 1997.

Always a perfectionist, Phil honed his skills in retirement trying to elevate his golf and tennis games, obsessively playing online and in-person duplicate bridge, and spending time with family. Travel was always a big passion: Phil and JoAnne took dozens of trips over the years taking them to every continent with the exception of Antarctica. Phil's one regret was that he never made it to India.

The funeral services will be held on Thursday, December 28 at 10am at the Joseph Rubin Memorial Chapel, 7430 Boynton Beach Blvd., Boynton Beach, FL. Shiva will be observed at the home of JoAnne Freedman, in Boynton Beach on Thursday 2pm to 4pm and then again from 7pm to 9pm. Donations can be made in Phil's memory to Trustbridge Hospice Care of Palm Beach County, 5300 East Ave., West Palm Beach, FL, 33407.