Denne Hix Freeman

Denne Hix Freeman, 86, of Waco, passed away Friday, February 3, 2023, at Baylor, Scott & White Heart Hospital in Plano.

A graveside service will be held at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, February 11, at Oakwood Cemetery in Waco with Father James of St. Jerome Catholic Church officiating. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., February 10, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home, 6101 Bosque Blvd. in Waco.

Denne was born November 9, 1936, in Dallas. He attended Woodrow Wilson High School, where he played on the basketball and golf teams, and graduated from Texas A&M in 1959, with a degree in journalism and a commission as a second lieutenant in the US Army. Denne married Judy on June 30, 1983. Denne’s favorite hobby was playing golf! Denne attended St. Jerome Catholic Church. Denne had a deep love for all his family and friends.

Denne Freeman was the Associated Press Texas Sports Editor for 31 years. He covered the Dallas Cowboys, including all their Super Bowls; the Texas Rangers and Nolan Ryan’s heroics; and the Dallas Stars; the Dallas NBA teams; major golf events including The Masters in 1997 when Tiger won; and top college football that included the 1969 Shootout game between Texas and Arkansas. As a news reporter for UPI , Denne covered the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and later, for Associated Press covered Apollo 13. During his years at the AP, he covered 1000 MLB games, 500 NBA games, and 350 NFL games.

His first collegiate football event for AP was the 1967 Texas A&M-Alabama Cotton Bowl. His career highlights included: coverage of the 1976 Montreal and 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City; informing Roger Staubach that he had been selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame; recording the first exclusive interview with Coach Tom Landry after his firing from the Dallas Cowboys; reporting Nolan Ryan’s seventh No-Hitter, 5000th Strike Out, and the fight with Robin Ventura; standing on the clubhouse steps at the Old Course at St. Andrews while Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino played their final round there; covering the 1997 Masters where Tiger won his first Major; and covering Ben Crenshaw’s winning putt at the 1995 Masters.

Honors include induction into the Texas A&M Journalism Hall of Fame, president of the Texas Sportswriters Association, and president of the Texas Golf Writers Association, and nomination for the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Texas Golf Hall of Fame. Denne was a lifetime member of the Golf Writers Association of America and the Baseball Writers Association of America and a Heisman Trophy voter. He also served as Chairman of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

In 1971, Denne won the AP National Award for his exclusive interview with Ben Hogan. He won the 1979 AP story of the year and was chosen Texas Sportswriter of the Year in 1980 by his peers of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association for his coverage of the Bob Hayes trial. He received the 1980 Texas Headliners Award for his reporting of the Dallas Cowboys-Houston Oilers game.

In 1989, he won the AP Staffer of the Year, the Press Club of Dallas Texas Katie Award-Individual Achievement, and the Texas Headliners Award for the first exclusive interview with Tom Landry after his firing. In 1995, he received the Press Club of Dallas Texas Katie Award for his reporting of the Dallas Cowboys NFC game. Denne is the author of three books: That Good Old Baylor Line, Hook'Em Horns, and I Remember Tom Landry. Denne, a Dallas native, graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1955 and graduated from Texas A&M in 1959 with a degree in journalism. He was a reporter for the Battalion while attending A&M. He worked as a public information officer at Ft Lee, Virginia. Upon his return to Texas, he started his journalism career at the Terrell Tribune, followed by seven years with UPI, and 31 years with the AP.

Denne was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall Fame's second-ever Media class in 2020.

Denne was preceded in death by his father, Harold Hix Freeman; and his mother, Maxine Evelyn Freeman.

Denne is survived by his wife, Judy; his daughter, Donna and husband, Kerry Graves; his son, Daniel and wife, Janny; his daughter, Linda and husband, Mike Lewandowski; grandchildren, Danielle and husband, Gary, Grant and wife, Alex, Sabelle, Alianna, Brent and wife, Melissa, and Brandy and husband, Jacob; great-grandchildren, Nash, Walker, Malachi, Moriah, Levi, Hannah, Riley, Sean, Rachel, Trinity, and Valli; brothers, Mike and wife, Lana, and Steven; and multiple nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

Memorials may be made to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, 1108 S University Parks Drive, Waco, TX 76706 or to St. Jerome Catholic Church, 9820 Chapel Rd. Woodway 76712.

The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.