Molding innovator George Freeborn is dead at 84

George E. Freeborn, the founder and CEO of Textek Plastics Inc. (San Antonio, TX) who died on March 15 at the age of 84, was an innovator in rotational and injection molding and active in both the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) and the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE).

A veteran of the U.S. Navy Air Corps (1944-1946), following college Freeborn worked at rotational molders and thermoformers, innovating the first rotomolded plastic street light globe, among other things.

He was a member and a fellow of SPE and held numerous offices and posts with SPI, including chairman of its western section, member of its national board and the board of directors of the Texas Chapter, and in 1993 SPI's Western Section named him its Man-of-the-Year.

Freeborn founded Textek Plastics in San Antonio in 1978 and sold the business to Moll Plasticrafters in 1992. He worked after that as a consultant to many plastics businesses. Freeborn was an avid traveler, piloted his own single-engine aircraft, and was active in numerous community activities in San Antonio

Freeborn is survived by his wife of 62 years, Tina. Visitation hours are 4-6 p.m. at the Porter Loring Mortuary in San Antonio, and a funeral service is set for 10 a.m. at St. Pius X Church in San Antonio, of which Freeborn was an active and devout parishioner.