Frances was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, a daughter of the late Samuel and Sonia Skydel. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1950. She met her future husband Leon through a mutual family acquaintance, discovered a mutual love for classical ballet, and married in 1956. After living for several years in Greenwich Village, Frances and Leon moved to Stamford, CT, raising their two sons there until 1967 when they relocated to Sacramento, CA. During their time in California, Frances was an enthusiastic supporter of the local chapter of Hadassah. They subsequently returned to the East Coast in 1974 and lived in Westport, CT for 45 years until Leon passed away in 2019. Frances led a very active and energetic life in Westport, contributing her time to many causes including the Save The Children Foundation, Dress For Success, and the Stamford Arboretum. She often commented that one of her proudest moments was participating in the 1987 “Freedom Sunday for Soviet Jews” rally in Washington DC. Frances loved the Longshore Beach seashore in Westport, was an avid bridge player and gardener, and, along with her husband, was a lifelong supporter of the New York City Ballet.
In addition to her parents, Frances was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Leon Irving Hyman; and two sisters, Eleanor Feffer and Barbara Skydel. She is survived by two sons, William Hyman and his wife Sarah of Manhattan, New York and Scott Hyman and his wife Phoebe of Lynchburg, Virginia; and four grandchildren, Alexandra Hyman and Chloe Hyman both of Manhattan, New York, Samuel Hyman of Athens, Ohio, and Jonathan Hyman of Denver, Colorado.
A graveside service will be conducted at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, June 11, 2023 at Mount Hebron Cemetery in Flushing, New York. The family requests those wishing to make memorial contributions to please consider the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.whittentimberlake.com for the Hyman family.
