Freddie’s Obituary Freddie Wilson Betchan, Jr, 57, passed away on January 20, 2019 in Lubbock, Texas. A Celebration of life will be 2:00 pm Saturday, January 26, 2019 at Carmichael-Whatley Colonial Chapel, with Rev. Scottie Stice, childhood friend and Baptist minister, officiating.
Burial will follow at Memory Gardens cemetery under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors. Military honors will be courtesy of Volley for Veterans of Amarillo. Freddie was born on April 18, 1961 in Pampa where he attended school.
After high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy. Freddie was deployed on active duty from March 1988 to January 1991. He spent two and a half years of his service at sea aboard the USS Juneau LPD-10.
He received the Navy Commendation Medal while at sea during the Gulf War. Freddie was also awarded the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon; Special Operations Service Ribbon; Navy Achievement Medal; Letter of Commendation from Commander; ASW Force, US Pacific. In 1989, Freddie was part of the crew on the USS Juneau LPD-10 when the ship was sent to assist with the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
After his service he returned to Pampa and worked as a truck driver before retiring due to an injury. Freddie rode bulls as a teenager, enjoyed hand tooling leather, welding, an occasional game of golf and NASCAR. He was a Dallas Cowboy fan.
Freddie was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Ethel Betchan, a brother Marvin Kelly Robinson, a niece Cynthia Long and a nephew Jerry Lynn Howard. He is survived by six sisters, Becky Campbell and husband Richard of Lake Worth, Neva Sledge and husband Scott of Comanche, Mary Jo Long and husband Ken of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Debbie Taylor of Kaw City, Oklahoma, Helen Barnett and husband Eddie of Pampa, and Joyce Hadley and husband Larry of Pampa; a sister-in-Law Loretta Robinson of Wimberly; 15 nephews and nieces, Ryan Campbell of Richland Hills, Angela Campbell of Bloomington, IN, Tanya Cervo of Carrollton, Jessie Sledge of Fort Worth, Cody Sledge of Stephenville, Shauna McKnight of Gilbert, Arizona, Troy Gee of Edmond, Oklahoma, Daryle Gee of Stillwater, Oklahoma, Ranita Cook of Amarillo, Gina Gilmore of Katy, Lance Hadley of Amarillo, Ricky Don Howard of Pampa, Michelle Robinson of Wimberley, Stephen Robinson of Austin, Sonya Robinson of Katy, and several great nieces and nephews. Freddie was a kind, funny, loving man, with many friends and family who will miss him dearly.
Memorials may be made to VFW Post #1657, PO Box 2684, Pampa, Texas 79066-2684.
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