Tommy Friberg

Tommy Friberg Obituary Please join Tommy's family in a come and go gathering to honor and celebrate his life on Tuesday, August 27th from 6-9:00 pm at RiverCrest Event Center, Bixby. This will be a time of fellowship, refreshments, and stories shared. William Thomas “Tommy” Friberg was born February 4, 1943 in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He was the second of three children born to William Harley and Jane Marie (Henderson) Friberg. Tommy would join his older sister, Patty, and the two would later welcome a baby brother, Mike. The Friberg family lived on a 15-acre farm, in Broken Arrow, where their dad had built a home and barn and where the kids would make numerous memories and learn many life lessons. They had a pond, creek, animals, and each other, which resulted in endless hours of entertainment. On May 16, 1954, at the age 11, Tommy was baptized, along with his entire family, at the First Christian Church in Broken Arrow. He lost his mother when he was 16 and his dad when he was 19. At age 18, while attending a service at the Arrow Heights Baptist Church, he rededicated his life to Christ. Tommy was a member of the BAHS Class of 1961. Attending school in Broken Arrow, he would play football for the BA Tigers and was quite the player-even being offered scholarships to play in college. He would not, however, pursue these offers and instead joined the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team with the Army National Guard, and began driving a truck for Watkins Sand Company in Bixby. He would also begin a family of his own, marrying Betty Stockton and welcoming children: Kimberly and Timothy. Tommy would continue to serve in the National Guard for several years before he began to drive cross-country for Arrow Trucking. Through this endeavor, he even attained his Hazardous Materials license and could tell numerous tales of his adventures including transporting a fully loaded gasoline tanker across the Colorado mountains on roads that were ice covered. Tommy would put his career on hold when something told him to call his sister before he was planning to be gone for several months. It was then that he learned she needed him to help care for her husband who was terminally ill. Tommy was by her side assisting and helping in any way possible. This earned him a special place with Patty and as Uncle Tommy to his niece Julie. There would be several years following, that Tommy lived in Texas and worked as an installer for a swimming pool company. Although he loved Texas, and was quite the cowboy during those years, he would eventually return to Oklahoma to be closer to his family. It has been several years now that Tommy has been a resident at the Treetop Apartments in Broken Arrow. There, he made many friends with his sense of humor and funny stories. He was also known for his servant’s heart as he taxied numerous of the residents to various places or appointments that they needed to make. He and his little Mazda pickup made countless trips to the Veteran’s Center in Muskogee, to doctor’s appointments all around Tulsa, to pharmacies, the dry cleaners, and grocery stores. He thoroughly enjoyed this responsibility and truly loved his friends there. Tommy was a devout Christian and enjoyed sharing his faith with those he came in contact with. But the times he looked forward to most were spending time with his children and grandchildren. This father, brother, grandfather, great grandfather and uncle has been described by his family as: funny, generous and loving. As word spread of his passing, responses began pouring in from his friends describing him as: funny, faithful, loyal friend, great guy, always there for me, always had a smile and a kind word for everyone. His absence will certainly leave a void in the hearts of those who knew and loved him. He is survived by: his children: Kimberly “Kim” Copeland and husband, Wayne; Timothy “Tim” Friberg; sister, Patty Bolton; brother, Mike Friberg and wife, Mary, grandchildren: Brandyn, Kherstyn, Justyn, Madison, Mason, and Sophie: great grandchildren Aiden and Scarlett: niece, Julie Cavender and husband, J.J. and their children: Cade and Casey. He was preceded in death by his parents: William Harley and Janel Marie (Henderson) Friberg. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Tommy Friberg, please visit our floral store. Read More

Tommy Friberg

February 4, 1943 - August 20, 2019