Gary H. Freedman

2020 Officer Corps

Gary Howard Freedman was born July 20, 1964, in San Pedro, California. Prior to military service, he was involved in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and law enforcement in the Los Angeles area. He holds three college degrees with majors in Criminal Justice, Nuclear Technology, and Information Technology. Gary spent eight years in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear engineer and ship"s diver on Thresher-Class attack submarines, from 1987 through the Gulf War and beyond. After an honorable discharge, he spent several years as an Environmental Engineer at the Washington State Dept. of Ecology’s Nuclear Waste Program, where he earned the state’s Environmental Stewardship Award as project manager for the cleanup and release of the 90,000-acre military buffer zone surrounding the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. He changed focus to the computer and networking field at Ecology, and in 2001, relocated to Amarillo, Texas, where he continues to serve as a Network Administrator at Amarillo National Bank.

Gary began his Masonic journey in 2004, and has served his lodges four times as Worshipful Master. He is a member of San Jacinto, Amarillo, and Hansford Lodges, and served as District Deputy Grand Master of District 99 in 2012. He is currently District Instructor At-Large, and Treasurer of Amarillo Lodge where he is also a recipient of the Golden Trowel Award.

He joined the Lubbock Valley Scottish Rite in 2006, received his 32 degree KCCH in 2011, has served as Wise Master of the Lubbock Chapter of Rose Croix, and is the Charter Recorder of the Lubbock Valley Marshal of the Court of Honor. He currently serves Khiva Shrine as York Rite Liaison, has served A.E. Shirley Chapter O.E.S. multiple times as Worthy Patron and Treasurer, and was on the Amarillo Rainbow and DeMolay Boards for several years.

Having joined the York Rite in 2005, Gary served as High Priest and Thrice Illustrious Master of Amarillo Chapter and Council. He has had the honor to serve as DDGHP of the Grand Chapter R.A.M. and DDGM of the Grand Council R.S.M. in 2012, and was appointed Grand Marshal of the Grand Chapter by V.E.P.G.H.P. W. David Melear from 2015-16. He was honored with the Royal Purple Service Award by V.I.P.G.M. Terry Flippo in 2016.

Gary belongs to Amarillo, High Plains and Borger commanderies, served four times as Commander, and is now serving as Treasurer for the Amarillo York Rite bodies. He was elected Grand Sentinel of the Grand Commandery Knights Templar of Texas in April 2011, was appointed Grand Representative of California in Texas, and served as Grand Commander from 2020-2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He is an active member of Texas Priory K.Y.C.H., the Order of High Priesthood, the Order of the Silver Trowel where he served as Chaplain from 2018-19, and is a grand officer in the Order of the Sword of Bunker Hill. Gary has been an active member of the Amarillo Commandery Ritual and Field Drill teams since 2005, having won multiple state ritual championships, and multiple state and national drill championships as Captain of the Amarillo Field Drill Team. Gary is an Associate Regent and recipient of the Order of the Purple Cross, and is currently an officer of West Texas York Rite College. He is also in the officer lines of the Knights Preceptor, Crusader Conclave R.C.C., Ascension Tabernacle XX H.R.A.K.T.P., and Golden Spread Council A.M.D.

Gary is a member of the Catholic Church, has been a life member of J.E. Pietzsch Chapter of Disabled American Veterans for 15 years, and is active in community and veteran services. He has been married for 30 years to his beautiful and supportive wife, Jeanne, who is also a Navy veteran whom he met while she was fixing his submarine. They have two grown children, daughter Lindy, and son Keelan, who is currently serving in the U.S. Navy attached to the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt.