EDYTHE HEYMAN

HEYMAN--Edythe F., of Rye, NY, on December 1, 2021, at age 98. Widow of the late George H. Heyman, Jr., beloved mother of William and John, mother-in-law of Wendy and Kathy, grandmother of Mallory and Brett, step-grandmother of Melissa, Erin and Jack, and step-great-grandmother of Allyson, Amanda, Emily and Robin. Born Edythe Jane Forman in Philadelphia on October 20, 1923, the child of Joseph Miles Forman and Pauline Speiser Forman. She graduated from Cheltenham High School, where she was a competitive swimmer, and moved to New York, where she lived with her uncle and aunt, Arthur Schiff and Rictavia Speiser Schiff. She attended the school of general studies at Columbia University and went to work as a copywriter for Henry Holt & Co., publishers. Years later she learned that while at Henry Holt she was given pages to type which were in fact unsequential notes for the Manhattan Project. In 1943 she met George H. Heyman, Jr., a young Army officer on leave from the European theatre who had before the war worked for Abraham & Co., Mr. Schiff's firm. They became engaged, and on March 17, 1946, after his discharge from the Army, began a marriage which produced two sons and lasted 57 years, until George's death on June 1, 2003. The Heymans lived in Scarsdale, NY, where Edythe was a Cub Scout Den Mother, a chaperone on school trips, and an active member of Sunningdale Country Club, were she played tennis and golf. In Scarsdale she became involved with the Women's Division of what was then the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies (of which George became President). She was one of the founders of Federation's thrift shop. After Bill's graduation from high school, the Heymans moved to New York City. George became President of Abraham & Co., and on its merger with Lehman Brothers a senior partner of that firm. After moving to the City they became heavily involved in philanthropy, with Federation and later with New York University. Edythe and George traveled extensively, and they saw the world to a degree probably not possible for Americans today. A private service is planned, and in place of donations Edythe's friends are asked simply to remember her.