Rolf K. Freeman
It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we share news of the sudden passing of our longtime friend and colleague Rolf Freeman, on April 1st, 2025.
Born in Missouri on September 28, 1963, Rolf moved to Santa Barbara with his mother, Viola when he was but a lad and was as Santa Barbaran as could be. He attended Santa Barbara Junior High and graduated from Santa Barbara High School. He also attended Santa Barbara City College, and later lived in New York City for a year, attending NYU Tisch School of the Arts, studying lighting design.
After his time in New York City, he came home to Santa Barbara and resumed his career as a full-time working stagehand for IATSE Local 442, working at all the major theater venues in the city. A year in NYC was about the maximum amount of time our “Rolfie” could be away from his adopted home of Santa Barbara, but the experience profoundly shaped and broadened his view of the world.
His dear mother, Viola passed away before Rolf in 2020 and was the only family any of his local friend-family ever knew. So we, his friend-family, are honor-bound to celebrate the private and talented Rolf. He was quiet, but assured. Humble, but knowledgeable. Strong, but not overpowering. Rolf was always inquisitive, sometimes quirky, very intelligent, much loved and so appreciated by many. He knew and espoused the more interesting sides of history, and could recall so many Santa Barbara facts of the past 50 years, it was uncanny. He also never knew an Apple product that he liked.
He had worked at the Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara Bowl, Arlington Theatre, and most recently at the Granada Theatre. He tired of the late nights of stage work and sought out the position of Facility Manager at the Granada Theatre in 2015, a job for which he was uniquely qualified. He was so incredibly knowledgeable of the historic Granada building, having truly trod the boards in both the original structure and the renovated version we now know, all the while preserving it as the beauty we all appreciate today.
Rolf had many talents and passions. He prided himself on keeping his single-owner 1970 Mustang running (a gift from his mother); painting and repairing it himself. He played the trombone, often practicing on the Granada stage. Rolf was a competitive fencer and was a great fan of complex video gaming. He taught himself in the use of CAD, databases, and most lighting controllers. Sometimes a scenic artist with a discriminating eye for color, Rolf could also repair untold esoteric devices found only in theatre buildings.
Rolf Freeman was Mr. Reliable, always there and always on time. Gone way too soon, we will all miss him greatly.
Please join us in honoring Rolf at his Celebration of Life at 1pm on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 in the Granada Theatre 1214 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
