Van Products Mourns the Loss of Customer and Distinguished Architect Phil Freelon

Husband and father of three, Phil Freelon passed away today at 66. He had been battling with ALS since his diagnosis in 2016. Phil Freelon was a long-time resident of North Carolina and beloved member of the community.

After graduating from North Carolina State and MIT, he went on to found the Freelon Group, an architectural firm located in the Research Triangle Park area. Freelon has a wide portfolio of work that includes schools, libraries, parks, museums, and academic buildings. He was most famous for his work on the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History, which he was chosen to design by unanimous decision. He was a recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture and was appointed to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts by Barack Obama.

All of us at Van Products would like to offer our deepest condolences to his wife Nnenna, three children, and all of his other family and friends. We cherished our time with Phil, who was a great friend and a valued customer. He would always make everyone smile when he came into our business, and we will always hold a place in our hearts for him.

His family is planning to have a memorial service in the fall, but the exact time and date have not been announced.