Woodmere native Freda Heyman, 87

Freda Heyman née Lozanoff began life a “bossy and opinionated” girl, according to her daughter Terry and pushed the envelope to become a doctor when that was uncommon for women, campaigned for women’s rights, never said no to amplifying a good time and was an unapologetic two pack per day smoker.

Heyman, a Philadelphia native who lived in Woodmere, died on Oct. 29, a few days after suffering a heart attack. She was 87.

 As a youngster, she loved performing science experiments and playing the piano, daughter Lori said, adding that her mother never let her own children forget that she practiced piano five hours a day. “One time her neighbor called the police because she wouldn’t stop playing,” Lori said, “but even the police officer was impressed with Freda, telling her, ‘Girly, keep practicing.’”

That determination pushed her to follow the dream of becoming a physician. She majored in chemistry and finished with the University of Pennsylvania in 1954 at 21. Attending a medical now known as the UCI School of Medicine in California, she was one of three women among 500 students. “She thought all of her fellow classmates were idiots and preferred to do group projects alone so no one else would drag down her grades,” Lori said. She graduated second in her class in 1958.   

On her first day as a resident at Flint General Hospital in Flint, Michigan “her flaming red hair” caught the eye of a successful surgeon, Albert Heyman, hospital cafeteria in July 1958. Both smitten they wed six weeks later and were married for 62 years.

The couple came east and settled in Howard Beach in 1959. Four years later they moved to Woodmere. They had five children in seven years. “Before the phrase ‘having it all’ was even a thing, Freda combined motherhood and career with the drive and organizational efficiency of General Patton,” daughter Terry said. The family were members of Temple Israel of Lawrence and all five children attended Sunday School and were bar or bat mitzvahed at the synagogue.

Heyman worked part-time at a private general medical practice in the Five Town, served a decade (1974 to 1984) on Hewlett-Woodmere Board of Education, was the doctor at Camp Swatonah in upstate Callicoon, served as president of the local National Women’s Political Caucus, marched with Lori in support of the Equal Rights Amendment, and hosted Congresswomen Bella Abzug and Shirley Chisholm.

Terry said that her mom hosted parties for many occasions ranging from the traditional bar and bat mitzvahs to soirees to celebrate the end of the school year with professional amusement rides in front of the house with the entire neighborhood invited.

“Freda operated her life under an open door policy,” daughter Robin said, “the family home was always open to neighborhood kids needing emergency sutures or medical interns without a place to go for Thanksgiving. She never said no to requested sleepover or placed a limit on the number of guests at party. As with everything else in Freda’s life, more was always better.”

Returning to full-time work with her children older, Heyman was an emergency room doctor at

Interboro Hospital in Brooklyn (later Baptist Medical Center), then at Peninsula General Hospital in Far Rockaway. Not yet a credentialed medical specialty when she started, Heyman passed the ER boards in her 50s.

In 1998, the Heymans moved to Furlong in Bucks County in Pennsylvania. Albert enjoyed retirement, but Fred continued to practice medicine into her early 80s, gardened and kibbitzed with vendors at Rice’s Flea Market. “She wanted everyone she met to be the best person they could be, and she would tell them exactly how to do that in no uncertain terms,” Lori said.

After moving to Furlong, she commuted from Peninsula three days a week for nearly seven years. Working at Peninsula for roughly 20 years. The hospital closed in 2012. Terry said she loved the “challenge of and camaraderie.” Heyman also served in several volunteers roles, including president of the New York State Osteopathic Medical Society.

Heyman is survived by Albert, their children David and wife Lynn; Lori and partner Bill; Steven and partner Denise; Robin and husband Michael; and Terry and husband Bill. Her brother Martin Lozanoff. She is predeceased by her sister Lillian. Her grandchildren Brooke, Andrew, Rachel, Jenny, Matthew, Samantha, Julia, Amanda, Aaron, Lindsey, Jack, and Anna; her close friend and companion for the last decade of her life, David Zimmer Jr.; and her beloved fish, Koi-a-la.

She was interred at Chesed Shel Emet historic West Laurel Hill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Freda’s memory can be made to the U. S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Go to https://bit.ly/361ZsSp.