Dave Freeman, 47; Wrote Travel, Adventure Guide

Dave Freeman, co-author of "100 Things to Do Before You Die," a travel guide and ode to odd adventures that inspired readers and imitators, died Aug. 17 after a fall at his home in Venice, Calif. He was 47.

Mr. Freeman, an advertising agency executive, co-wrote the 1999 book, subtitled "Travel Events You Just Can't Miss," with Neil Teplica. It was based on the Web site WhatsGoingOn.com, which the pair ran together from 1996 to 2001.

"This life is a short journey," the book says. "How can you make sure you fill it with the most fun and that you visit all the coolest places on earth before you pack those bags for the very last time?"

Mr. Freeman's relatives said he visited about half the places on his list before he died, and either he or Teplica had been to nearly all of them.

The book's recommendations ranged from the obvious, such as attending the Academy Awards and running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, to the more obscure, such as taking a voodoo pilgrimage in Haiti and "land diving" on the Island of Vanuatu, which Mr. Freeman once called "the original bungee jumping."

The book included goofy graphics with each entry, indicating that some activities were "down and dirty," and others "grandma friendly."

The success of "100 Things" inspired dozens of like-minded books, with titles such as "100 Things Project Managers Should Do Before They Die" and "100 Things Cowboys Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die."

David Stewart Freeman was born Feb. 21, 1961, in Whittier, Calif. He graduated from the University of Southern California in 1983 and spent much of his career in New York at Grey Advertising. He decided to move back to Los Angeles in 2002 to be near his family after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Survivors include his father and stepmother, Roy and Barbara Freeman, and a sister.

-- From New Services