Harvey Free Jr

Harvey "Sonny" Free, 81, of Cartersville, Georgia, passed away on June 3, 2026, at Piedmont Hospital, surrounded by the loved ones who held his heart.

Born Harvey Rena Free on March 2, 1946, in Cartersville, he was raised in Rockmart and graduated from Taylorsville High School. From early on, his mother gave him the name "Sonny", she said he was the sunshine of her life. Those who knew him would say she wasn't wrong.

Before planting his roots in Cartersville for good, Harvey answered his country's call and served in the United States Navy from 1966 to 1969 during the Vietnam War, stationed aboard the USS New Jersey. His service earned him the Bronze Star, a distinction that reflected both his courage and his character.

Back home, he built a steady, loyal career as a field technician spanning 35 years, beginning with Prestige Cable in Cartersville and continuing through what would become Comcast. He was the kind of man who showed up, did his job well, and let his work speak for itself.

His wife, Brenda, called him "old Harv” a name that took on a life of its own. People started wondering just how old "old Harv" actually was. In truth, he was ageless in the ways that mattered. He loved being outdoors, settling into a good western, and above all else, being Papa to his grandchildren and great-grandchild.

Some of his best days were spent walking the banks of Lake Allatoona with his brother-in-law Mike, one of his closest friends; hunting the water's edge for lost rods, reels, and lures, treasures, as far as he was concerned. Those who knew him from his younger days remembered a man who liked to cut up and wasn’t above a little mischief, and they smiled when they said it.

Harvey was a man of Baptist faith who lived with quiet conviction.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Brenda Gayle (Howell) Free; his daughter, Donya Michelle (Free) McCreary and son-in-law, Dewayne McCreary; his grandchildren, Donya Breanna (McCreary) Mauldin and her husband Chase Mauldin, and Clifford Dakota McCreary; and his great-grandchild, Graham Mauldin.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harvey and Willie Bell (Brewer) Free; and his sisters and their husbands; Mildred and James Womack, Jenelle and Charles Thomas, Betty and Charles Moore, and Sheila and Jackie West.

Visitation will be held Sunday, June 7, 2026, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at Parnick Jennings Funeral Home, with a celebration of life service immediately following at 4:00 PM, officiated by Pastor Dewayne McCreary. Interment will take place Monday, June 15, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Georgia National Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Dakota McCreary, Mike Howell, Chris Allen, Tristian Allen, and Derick Starnes.

The family welcomes flowers, and those who prefer to make a memorial donation may do so to Gracewalk Church in Cartersville, Georgia.