Obituary: Edith Friedman, 90

Edith Friedman, a longtime resident of Rockville Centre, died on Nov. 21. She was 90.

Her career revolved around nursing after she received her RN from Johns Hopkins University and later completed a BS at Hunter College. She worked as both a nurse and a nurse educator.

Her profession was most evident in the kind of person Friedman was — caring, patient, well-organized and undeniably capable. Friedman also served as President of the Oceanside Chapter of the United Cerebral Palsy PTA and as President of the BOCES School Board for Cerebral Palsy.

Friedman was an exceptionally active member of Central Synagogue of Nassau County and was often at the center of efforts to maintain it as a vital religious community. For years, she led Central Synagogue’s program to record books for the blind. She was also keenly interested in religious studies, attended services regularly and for years participated in group discussions devoted to understanding and interpreting religious traditions and texts.

She was deeply interested in the world around her, traveling frequently to distant destinations with her husband Gene, a former executive at CBS records. For years, Friedman attended the weekly current events discussion group at the Rockville Centre Public Library, where she demonstrated an intimate awareness of the pressing issues of the day. She also set out with her husband to visit all fifty states, but came up just two short. In addition, she and Gene participated in more than 30 elder hostels. Friedman also loved to read and thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated art, theater, poetry, music opera and, above all, nature.

Friedman was, by all accounts, a most generous and loving person who never hesitated to reach out to those in need and possessed the empathy and skills to be of real service.

She is survived by her husband Gene, their daughter Susan and son-in-law Jordan.