Edna Nollman

Edna Nollman, of Newton, MA, died after a short illness on August 25, 2025. Her passing has invoked an
outpouring of tributes from her family and from others who knew her. Edna was born on July 25, 1925 to
Bessie and Benjamin Sherman. She survives her husband of 58 years, Herbert (affectionately known as
"Uncle Herbie" by her many nieces and nephews). She leaves behind her son David and his partner,
Cheryl and her son, Richard and his wife, Rene, as well as her grandson, Jordan and his wife, Larissa and
great granddaughters, Maya and Ava. She was predeceased by her grandson, Adam.
Edna grew up in Dorchester, MA, with her sisters Rose, Lee, Kay and her brother Kenny. An excellent
student with a strong bent for the artistic, she painted and did extraordinary needlepoint. She also had a
flair for design, having won at the age of seventeen, a "Boston Globe" dress design competition.
Additionally Edna designed flower arrangements that were displayed at the annual Boston Museum of
Fine Arts (MFA) "Art In Bloom" exhibition.
Also a political activist, she worked as a volunteer on national political campaigns notably for Adlai
Stevenson, John F. Kennedy and George McGovern. She also worked in public relations for a Newton
City Council candidate. Having grown up at a time when women were not encouraged or given the
financial support required to go to college, she switched to a business curriculum and after graduating, got
a job as a draftswoman at MIT's Radiation Lab where she worked as a draftswomen on the project that
created radar and television.
However, in the eyes of her children, Edna's greatest achievement was how she finally went to and
graduated from college. Unable to do so when she was younger, and now with two children still in public
school, she defied all her friends who wondered why she would do that given that she enjoyed a great
social life, lived in the affluent Boston suburb of Newton and had a husband who earned enough to
support all this.
But, as always, she had a plan. She enrolled in Boston University in what was then called its School of
Public Relations and Communications (SPRC). Upon graduating, she again ignored her friend's
admonitions and entered the worlds of public relations and publishing. She began as a technical editor,
and later worked at Bentley College in media relations as the school expanded to what is the present day
Bentley University.
Edna had a wide circle of friends as well and had a large and close extended family. She had a great
sense of humor and brightened all gatherings with her dry wit and keen sense of humor. She loved
spending time on the golf course, reading a good book and watching classic movies. Her favorite movie
was "Aunty Mame" to which she took her son to see when he was in grade school, after which he turned
to her and said of the character, Aunty Mame, "that was you!"
A graveside service will be held at Sharon Memorial Park on Thursday, August 28 at 12:45pm.
Remembrances of Edna may be made to Dana Farber Cancer Center.