Sally Friedlander

Today we are all facing a new void in our lives because I must convey the sad news that Sally Friedlander passed peacefully away on October 9, 2025. She had entertained an old friend that morning, had lunch and a nap- she LOVED her naps! A dear friend helped get her up to stroll her out to the sunroom before her supper. They arrived to a puddle of sun on that brilliant, crisp, Wisconsin afternoon- we know that while the wheelchair stopped, Sally followed that sunbeam right on up.

Those who knew her, will all remember the caring, giving, active volunteer, who always strived to make the world a better and more connected place.

Sally was born in Boston, January 16, 1928, grew up in Concord, Massachusetts and summered on Bailey Island, Maine where she learned to love the outdoors, the ocean, and to sail.

After graduating Oberlin College, she became the first kindergarten teacher in the town of Hanover, New Hampshire, where she met her husband, Bill at a square dance.

They were married in December 1951 and moved to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois for Bill to acquire his PhD in chemistry. Sal started yet another kindergarten there and their first child was born.

In 1955 they moved into their home on the corner of 12th and Fillmore in Hudson where they raised their family of five children and lived for over 60 years. The family enjoyed skiing, sailing, camping, and trips in Bill‘s Beach Bonanza aircraft.

Sal enjoyed volunteering at the Hudson hospital, teaching Sunday school and working with her “church family“ at the Hudson United Methodist Church. She and Bill were among the founders of the St. Croix Valley Arts Guild which later became the Phipps Center for the Arts and charter members of the St. Croix Sailing Club. Two of her fondest volunteering memories were of her cadet Girl Scout troop of 40 girls and the production of the first “Bethlehem Revisited” at the Methodist Church. With her children grown, she went back to the little ones again and helped start Pooh Corner nursery school.

Sal and Bill enjoyed a six-year assignment for 3M in England where they lived in a couple of tiny hamlets- Manuden, then Hatfield Broad Oak. They played host to scores of visitors from the states, sharing the bonhomie of their little communities and wonderful parts of England, like the Cotswolds. This hospitality continued with her return to Bailey Island and the 'Lark' where many have visited, enjoyed a dip in Mackerel Cove, and put their name on a clothespin napkin ring! In her later years she enjoyed knitting, reading and watercolor painting.

Bill and Sal traveled extensively, always with a specific objective, usually with a physical challenge, and often leading to other discoveries along the way. They trekked the Himalayas, chased solar eclipses, kayaked the coast of Norway, traversed the Milford Track in New Zealand and visited Antarctica.

Of course, the source of their greatest pride and joy were their children! Although their children settled across the nation from coast to coast, they saw each other frequently and provided 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren - so far!

Sally continued her tradition of giving and sharing even into her 90s – She would often leave her retirement apartment in the Wintergreen complex to go and “read to the elderly”. She may have grown old but she never grew up! She said, “It was an abundant life, full of joy. What a ride!”

Sally was preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Hill of Concord mass, and her three older brothers Bixby, George, Peter, and her husband, Bill.

She is survived by her five children, Rick, Wendy Doane, Maggie Rettler, Dottie Cummings, Jim, and the aforementioned offspring.

Visitation will be at O’Connell Family Funeral Home, 520 s. 11th Street, Hudson, Wisconsin, on November 5 at 9-11AM. A Celebration of Life will be at 11 with lunch to follow. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to contribute to the Bill and Sally Friedlander Legacy Fund at the St Croix Valley Foundation. This fund will be making perpetual contributions to their favorite local charities.

St. Croix Valley Foundation

1830 Hanley Rd, Ste 200

Hudson, WI 54016

Legacy Fund at St. Croix Valley Foundation Link - Please click here