Elaine Harris Freeman, formerly of West Chester

Elaine Harris Freeman, 83, of Philadelphia, died on August 15th at home. Elaine grew up in Brooklyn and the Philadelphia area. She earned a BA in communications from Temple University and an MA degree in English as a Second Language from West Chester University.

Elaine joined the staff of WHYY Public Television in 1955, shortly after its founding. She was committed to women’s rights and the importance of the arts in public schools and libraries. She led creative dramatics programs for children in Philadelphia before moving to Chester County, where she founded Precise Communications, after working for the Devereux Foundation and the Association for Retarded Citizens. In recent years she taught ESL classes at Drexel University, in regional hotels, and in Gredos, Spain. A lifelong feminist, she was active in the League of Women Voters and participated in the 1995 Beijing UN–World Conference on Women.

Elaine was a passionate traveler; she was a member of Hope Afloat USA dragon boat team for breast cancer survivors; she participated in multiple book groups, and was at work on a biography of Martha Freud.

She was predeceased by her husband, Dr. Leo C. Freeman, and is survived by her sister Lila Levin of Haverford, PA, Robert Harris of Sacramento, CA; her children, Jan Freeman of Ashfield, Massachusetts, Nancy Freeman-Carroll of New York City, Carla Freeman of Atlanta, Eric Freeman of Madrid, Spain, and five grandchildren, Isabel, Alice, Claudia, Benjamin, and Joseph. A memorial in celebration of her life will be held at the community room of the Philadelphian, 2401 Pennsylvania Avenue, 2nd floor, Philadelphia, on Sunday, August 19 at 11:00 a.m. Donations in her honor may be sent to WHYY or to Hope Afloat USA of Philadelphia.