Debbie Lee Friedman

1956 - 2021

Debbie Lee Friedman, the Total Woman, was born June 16, 1956 and tragically passed away April 27th, 2021. Debbie was an incredible daughter, sister, wife, mom, friend and grandmother though she insisted on being called Honey by her grandchildren. Debbie's positivity, warmth and love instantly touched every person she met. She was selfless and genuinely cared deeply about everyone in her life. She offered herself in friendship and left her memorable impact on so many. When you were in Debbie's presence, it was impossible not to be captivated by her smile, generosity in spirit and bathed in love. Debbie grew up in Hawaii to doting parents Joy and Norman Brown sharing her bedroom with her two sisters, who remained her lifelong best friends. The Brown Girls, Debbie, Sindie and Laurie, spent evenings watching their parents dance at home and performing their own rendition of the latest song, as laughter and joy filled their home. She left for college to UCLA where her husband Jeff fell in love with her at first sight. On the first day of freshman orientation, Jeff proclaimed to his own parents that he just saw the girl he was going to marry. Initially, straight-laced Debbie was very much not interested in this fast talking and moving, long haired, New York HIPPY, but within a few weeks, they were best friends. Jeff was patient and persistent and after a four-year campaign, they were engaged. Life and graduate school brought them to New Orleans, a city filled with energy, music and vibrancy which would define their marriage and future family. The city and their commitment to each other was seeded in their early years as they started their forever happy life, always deeply in love. Debbie always knew she was destined to be a mom, and she was blessed with two daughters, Randi and Jodi, in a span of thirteen months. Debbie threw herself wholeheartedly into their lives and immersed herself in everything from dance class, debate and award-winning science projects. She was always present and had a knack for knowing the right words and how and when to deliver them with love and care. Debbie always taught her daughters to be true to themselves; and the occasional lecture on honesty and kindness was often so patiently delivered that Randi and Jodi begged for traditional punishment! The family was inseparable with countless nights spent playing cards, board games and dancing in the living room; it should be noted that Debbie was fiercely competitive in all games and quietly stalked her opponents often knowing their hands better than they did. Debbie was simply magnetic. Her innate kindness, patience, full pantry and empathetic ear, combined with her rare adult coolness made her home the place where all were welcome. The house brimmed with energy and was full of life, love and laughter. Debbie effortlessly became the second Mom to all of Destrehan and the surrounding suburbs; her policy was "the more the merrier" and guests walked through the unlocked front door without knocking. She supported her daughters' friends through romantic break-ups, life events and the simple need for nurturing. Debbie created a home full of love for her extended family and friends that became her community. Debbie agonized over every detail, from the music to the color coordinated décor when she threw her parties and still somehow found the energy to cook her famous spinach and artichoke dip. Guests never left hungry or under-served, and she kept an industrial supply of Tupperware to send her guests home with her delicious leftovers. Music filled her home, from Zydeco to Rock-N-Roll to New Orleans Jazz, and Debbie expressed herself through her love of dance. She was a style icon with her love of fashion and color which she showed through playful hair colors and later in helping clients during her years owning a Magazine Street clothing boutique. Debbie was an extrovert, but she also cherished her private moments talking to her sisters on the phone and she enjoyed sipping coffee (Triple venti, skim latte with way too many pumps of sugar- free vanilla) with her close girlfriends. She was philanthropic, committing time to causes near and dear to her heart, including the Jewish Community of New Orleans. Debbie loved to travel internationally with her husband; she loved her trips to Asheville with friends, and visits to her sister Laurie and her husband Barry in California, and lived for her summers in Colorado with Jeff, her daughters and their families. The last chapters of her life were anchored by her move to New Jersey to be around her daughters and grandchildren, her sister, Jeff's sister Amy, and their children, and later Grandma Mickey. She always shared her gratitude to be welcomed into the lives of her adult children and to have the opportunity to become a pillar in her grandchildren's lives. She lived in the world of her grandchildren and exhibited the patience of a Saint. Debbie found endless energy to play make-believe, Legos, basketball and even just to "be" in a way that made the boys feel safe and loved unconditionally. Her grandchildren could not wait to see their "Honey" every day, and she loved deeply the opportunity to be with them. Debbie was perfect with her words and expressed everything better than any Hallmark card - this obituary could never capture everything she was to everyone. Everyone Debbie has crossed paths with will forever cherish her smile and friendship and her spirit will live on in all of us. Debbie, we know you're dancing in heaven, reuniting with family and friends, and already making new ones. We will miss you. You were taken too soon. We love you with all our hearts and souls, infinitely, forever and always. Her legacy and spirit will be carried forward by her husband Jeff Friedman, Jodi Friedman and Armando Mosquea, Randi, Matthew, Miles and Maverick Seigel, and Sindie and Joel Schur, Laurie Brown and Barry Hassenberg, Amy Friedman, and Mickey Friedman, and so many more. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to one of the following: Jewish Family Services, https://jfsneworleans.org/make-an-impact/ National Gaucher Foundation, https://www.gaucherdisease.org/donate/ Gates of Prayer Synagogue, https://www.gatesofprayer.org/payment.php.