For a couple who thought they would never leave the Washington D.C. area, Allan and Audrey Freed are now among the biggest fans of living in World Golf Village.  It’s been seven and a half years since the Freeds moved into Turnberry and Audrey Freed recently answered a few of our questions, including exactly how they ended up in our neck of the woods. 

Q: Audrey, we hear you were reluctant to move from D.C..  Tell us the story about how you and Allan came to make World Golf Village your home.
It was a long and circuitous route. We had been visiting Jacksonville/St. Augustine since 1986 when our son attended JU. We thought the area was great but we really loved Washington and never planned to live elsewhere. But then about 10 years ago Allan had a severe heart attack and had to retire while I had my dream job and planned to never retire.

On one of our visits to Jacksonville, Allan spent some time looking at model homes.  He fell in love with this one in Turnberry and for the next three years he talked about it all the time! I would jokingly tell him that I hoped he and his next wife would be very happy in World Golf Village because I was NEVER moving to Florida.  During this same time, we began looking for a new home in Maryland/DC because our four-story Rockville, Maryland home was unsuitable for someone with a bad heart. But we weren’t finding the perfect fit. Fast forward to November 2004 when, on another visit to the area, I reluctantly agreed (just to keep peace) to go take a look at the house in Turnberry Allan had fallen in love with three years earlier. I fell in love with it immediately and we bought it the next day.  We moved here March 1, 2005, and have never regretted it.

Q: You’re collectors.  Tell us more about your collections of autographs and antique cameras.
Allan worked for Northwest Airlines for 40 years as an aircraft mechanic.  Besides providing the family with a comfortable living and travel privileges, because he was based in Washington, DC, it also afforded him the opportunity to get up-close and personal with lots of politicians and entertainers. Thus he was able to amass an amazing autograph collection.

Our antique camera collection began with one or two family cameras and has “blossomed” into a very large collection (probably too large) thanks to the close proximity of flea markets and antique shops.

Q: What do you like most about living in WGV?
Just about everything.  The neighbors are friendly and take pride in their homes.  We also love the fact that there are young families in our neighborhood.  The thought of living in a community with only older adults would not work for us.  Also, we’re blessed to have our two children and grandchildren nearby so we seem them often.  Our son, his wife and their five children live about 15 miles away and our daughter and her husband live in the King & Bear – their youngest of five children will enter college this Fall.

Q: What fills your schedule?
Our mantra has become, “We don’t know how we had time to work.”  Our lives are very full. Allan takes care of “roads and grounds” (his name for lawn care and other outside chores), in addition to organizing and reorganizing his garage/museum. I’m involved with 26.2 With Donna The National Marathon To Finish Breast Cancer, The Florida Heritage Book Festival and The Bar Association’s Attorney Grievance Committee for the State of Florida. We both enjoy long walks in and around World Golf Village, and we have season tickets to the Jacksonville Symphony so a performance there may be on our schedule.

Q: Tell us something even your World Golf Village friends would be surprised to know about you.
Allan plays the accordion and I used to be a recipe taster for Betty Crocker.