Sally Friedman

Sally Friedman, 86, formerly of Willingboro and Moorestown, NJ, died on January 3, 2025. She was the treasured wife of Victor Friedman; beloved mother of Jill (Jeff), Amy (David), and Nancy (Michael); fiercely proud grandmother of Hannah and Zay Smolar, Emily and Carly Appelbaum, and Sam, Jonah, and Danny Zinn; and adored sister of Ruth Rovner.

Born in 1938 to Hymen and Lillian Schwartz, Sally grew up in Wynnefield, revering her older sister Ruthie and following in her footsteps as an English major at the University of Pennsylvania. She married Victor Friedman at 21 and started her career as a seventh grade English teacher, but quickly “retired” to raise her trio of irreverent daughters, Jill, Amy, and Nancy. 

That retirement was short-lived. As the girls grew, Sally found her voice as a writer. Her first published piece was about Amy’s unplanned home birth, which appeared in Baby Talk Magazine and for which she was paid in bartered baby diapers. For half a century, she wrote a dearly loved syndicated personal column called “Lifesounds” in The Burlington County Times and Calkins publications. She was also a frequent contributor to publications ranging from The Philadelphia Inquirer to New Jersey Monthly to The New York Times. Her self-described greatest professional achievement was preserving the stories of Holocaust survivors through Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation. 

Mostly, Sally wrote about what she knew best: family and emotions. She chronicled the highs and lows of raising teenagers, nurturing a marriage that spanned 64 years, and growing into herself as the world changed. Sally touched the hearts of thousands and remained a passionate and energetic writer until her retirement. Adoring fans often wrote to Sally to say that reading her columns made them feel like they were having coffee with her. People often reported that they had frayed copies of her stories taped on their refrigerators and sent them weekly to their families. 

While Sally and Vic enjoyed theater, concerts, lectures and anything else that might satisfy Sally’s insatiable curiosity about the world and its people, their greatest pleasure was spending time at home with each other and the family. They delighted in their daughters, relished their accomplishments, and loved to laugh for hours on lazy family days. Sally loved her gaggle of seven especially close grandchildren and savored the joyful chaos of Passover seders, Thanksgiving, and family togetherness. She was astounded by the experiences her grandchildren had – traveling the world, going to college far from home, and dating online. Sally lived long enough to vote for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for president – and did so proudly. 

Even in the throes of dementia, Sally maintained her love of coffee cake, John Denver music, and above all, Vic. On difficult or disorienting days, she was profoundly grateful to be able to hold his hand. 

The family thanks caregivers Tiko, Mari, Lisa, Heather, Unetta, Sharylanda, Annette, Sharon, and others, who worked so hard to bring comfort in the last years of Sally’s life. 

There will be a private burial with a meaningful ceremony to celebrate Sallys life in the spring.

The Havdalah and Shiva schedule is as follows:

Saturday, January 4 from 6:30-9:00pm - Havdalah Service (6:30pm), Stories, and Songs in Sally’s Memory at the home of Jill and Jeff

Sunday, January 5 from 6:30-9:00pm - Shiva (Minyan at 6:30pm) at the home of Jill and Jeff 

Monday, January 6 from 6:00-9:00pm - Shiva (Minyan at 6:30pm) at the home of Nancy and Michael

Tuesday, January 7 from 6:00-9:00pm - Shiva (Minyan at 6:30pm) at the home of Nancy and Michael

To read an article from the Burlington County Times about Sally Friedman please click the following.   https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/story/news/2022/06/08/columnist-sally-friedman-reflects-end-retire-50-year-career/9824460002/

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