Published August 6, 2020

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

There are few times in a person’s life when you are dealt a heart wrenching blow that stops you in your tracks. July 28, 2020 was that day for many of us.

In a year filled with unbearable loss, the North Reading community and this newspaper lost a true unsung hero with the passing of John Friberg to multiple myeloma last week at age 65.

John’s gentle nature and affable, low-key personality belied the fierce loyalty he held for all Hornet student-athletes as he prowled the sidelines of any venue, seeking the best camera angle from which to capture their athleticism, as well as the spirit and the joy, they brought to the world of sports.

He was omnipresent. For more than 13 years he covered every sporting event he could, whether home or on the road; local rivalry to state championships. He loved to see the students receive recognition for their efforts in the Transcript and never once would accept payment for them, though he was proud of the honorary press pass he was given once the MIAA started to require credentials to access the sidelines!

John started seriously pursuing his hobby back in 2006, when his children, Jay and Ali, were involved in Hornet sports. He stayed on after both of his kids had graduated, always making new friends along the way.

Soon, the blank, dull walls of the old NRHS building were brought to life by the 11-by-14 inch framed color photos John would donate to the school. After the school ran out of wall space, he continued to update the exhibit with new photos inside the old frames. That tradition has now been transferred to the walls of Main Street in the new high school.

But his generosity did not stop there. After getting to know so many students and their families, John also provided hundreds of students with a CD of the best photographs he had taken of them. He branched out as well, attending the Grand Marches of the Junior and Senior Proms and their graduation ceremonies. (It was John’s eagle-eye shot of the long line of graduates entering Arthur J. Kenney Field, taken from atop the press box, that most often graced our graduation edition.)

I greatly enjoyed tag-teaming games, graduations and town events like the Relay for Life with John because he was the guy who would always have your back. Anyone who knew John for five minutes had a friend for life. As much as he wanted to take great photographs, for him, it was always about the kids.

During his induction speech last fall as a member of the 2019 class of the North Reading Hornet Hall of Fame for Community Service, an honor he shares with Transcript sports writer Danny Nunn, John spoke of how much he enjoys the students:

“There is something special about high school athletics. Unlike the pros there are no free agents, no arbitration, no hold outs, and (thank God) no instant replay! It’s just a bunch of kids playing a sport they love, and playing it with their best friends. I find that incredibly pure and refreshing.”

He continued, “And the athletes at North Reading High School certainly make it easy for me to get the good photos. It seems that every season I get to take pictures of at least one team celebrating a CAL, divisional or state title. NR always has its share of outstanding student-athletes. But I also love to photograph the athletes that don’t get as much playing time as some of their teammates, and who work just as hard in practice.”

Lastly, he added, “Perhaps my favorite thing about my photo hobby is that I get to know so many of the student-athletes. They are, for the most part, thoughtful, polite, ambitious, and friendly. I love to see them start their playing careers as scared freshmen and sophomores, and then mature into young adults graduating and heading off to college. I love to see them when they are home from college and fill me in on what they’ve been up to. It is, and always will be, about the kids. And by extension, I get to meet their parents and get to know them also. There are so many wonderful, generous families in North Reading, and I still keep in touch with many of them.”

“Photographing a North Reading sports event with John Friberg was a delight — often more enjoyable than the game itself,” recalled retired Transcript editor Bob Turosz.

“When John was there, I knew I could look forward to two hours or so of witty, light-hearted banter about sports, town politics and the best camera settings to use in low-light situations. But he also held thoughtful and well considered opinions about the state of the nation and the world. He was naturally upbeat and ebullient with a gentle, often self-deprecating sense of humor and never let on, unless I asked, that he had a care in the world.”

Both Friberg and Turosz continued their zest for photography and following Hornet athletes through their camera lenses into their retirement.

“John loved photography in all its forms — sports, nature, landscape, etc. But he didn’t haunt the courts and playing fields of North Reading just for the athletic action. He had a genuine affection for the student-athletes. He knew their names, their back stories and future plans, their older and younger siblings and their parents. He knew where they were headed after graduation and presented the graduating seniors with highlight discs of their athletic careers,” Turosz said.

“He was extremely proud of his children Ali and Jay and spoke often, and with great affection, of his wife Chris. He loved the games but he also knew there were much more important things in life, like family. And he knew he was blessed in that regard,” Turosz added.

“Some day soon perhaps, the games will resume in North Reading and the players will return to the fields. But it won’t be the same without him,” he said. “John Friberg was a man for all seasons and I will miss him very much.”

Deanna Castro, another Hornet parent and fellow photographer, shared John’s passing “with a heavy heart” on her Facebook post in which she asked friends to share their memories of him so she can pass them along to his family.

“His beautiful wife Chris shared that John deeply cherished his NR friends and conveyed their family’s thanks and love to the NR sports world. John was every NR student athlete’s biggest cheerleader, capturing sports accomplishments big and small; special milestones including proms and graduations, and creating lifelong memories with discs for individual athletes over countless years,” Castro wrote.

She added, “He was kind, thoughtful, witty, generous, and loved this community. We thought the world of him… I will miss my picture-taking buddy. We froze, got soaked, endured windstorms, driving rain, shared frustrations on taking action shots at night games, and consulted often on lens settings and lighting. We shared lots of laughs and great stories. There was no better person to share the sidelines with. Rest easy friend.”