Obituary: Doug Freedman

“Doug” to his family and friends, he is survived by his wife and best friend, Genie, sister Robyn Freedman Gerson (Ed), sisters-in-law Sharyl Jennaro and Marianne Jennaro, his aunt Lois Blonder, nieces Jane Jennaro Tomaro (Pete) and Ali Garfinkel (Marc), nephew Justin Spiz-man (Jaime), great nephew Hudson Tomaro, great nieces Poppy Garfinkel, Dani Spizman and Bella Spizman, and many cousins and longtime friends. He is predeceased by his parents, Jack and Phyllis (Blonder) Freedman.

Doug was born in Port Chester, New York but lived his entire life in Atlanta, raised in Buckhead. As an adult, Doug was a home builder and real estate developer of apartments, condos and single-family subdivisions in Atlanta and the Southeast, but at an early age, he discovered his true passions: music and classic cars. Both took him on many, many adventures and to this day as the drummer of The Fly-bi-Nites, he receives royalties for “Found Love,” a song he and his bandmates wrote in his parents’ rec room in 1967. Doug’s involvement with the classic car hobby as regional director and then president and chairman of the board of the Ferrari Club of America, led to him and Genie living for a year in Brussels, Belgium while he curated the personal Ferrari collection of Jacques Swaters, as well as invitations to judge at some of the most prestigious Concours d’elegance events in the U.S. and Europe. This ultimately inspired Doug and Genie to create their own Concours on the Monterey Peninsula in California. Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours on the Avenue just completed its 14th year this past August and is considered one of the top events of its kind by the collector and classic car communities. Doug was a thoughtful and amazing husband, son, grandson, brother, brother-in-law, nephew, cousin, uncle and great uncle. He was loyal in his dedication to his family and to his longtime friends from all walks of life. He aspired to follow in the footsteps of his parents and grandparents and always treated others with respect. Doug was a true Southern gentleman!

Graveside services will be held 3:30 p.m., Oct. 5, at Arlington Memorial Park and via Zoom link on Dressler’s website. Contributions may be made to a charity of your choice, the Atlanta Humane Society, the William Breman Jewish Home, or the Carmel Foundation, which serves senior citizens on the Monterey Peninsula and is the charitable recipient of Concours on the Avenue. Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Obituary: Doug Freedman

"Doug" to his family and friends, he is survived by his wife and best friend, Genie.

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