Harriet Wolf

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the death of Harriet Wolf of Ashland, MA, on September 12, 2024, at age 82.

Harriet was born on September 5, 1942, to Irving and Mildred (née Eidelberg) Krigsman, in Brooklyn, NY. The family moved to St. Petersburg, FL, when Harriet was about 10 years old. She returned to New York to attend New York University instead of staying close to home - her father’s preference. She convinced her parents to allow this by arguing that the chances were greater in 1960 that she would meet a “nice Jewish boy” in New York than in Florida. While she studied to become a teacher at NYU, she lived with her grandparents in Brooklyn, where—through the facilitation of her Uncle Robbie—she did indeed meet that nice Jewish boy, Paul Wolf, her beloved husband of 61 years.

After her marriage to Paul and her graduation from college, Harriet taught middle school English in Brooklyn until their twin daughters were born in 1969. The family relocated to South Florida in 1972. She was an English teacher and English Department head for two decades at Bair Middle School in Sunrise, FL, where even today her students remember “Mrs. Wolf” (via Facebook) as a nurturing, and also exacting, teacher. Harriet and Paul remained full-time residents of Florida until 2001, when their first two granddaughters were born three days apart. Of the “twin cousins,” Harriet gushed, “It was like history repeating itself.” The births of their next three grandchildren between 2003 and 2006 were met with equal unmitigated kvelling. Until 2021, when they established themselves as full-time residents of Massachusetts, they divided their year between Florida and Marlborough, MA, to be near their five grandchildren, who were her pride and joy.

An intellectual and serious person by nature, Harriet had a lifelong love of learning and of language that was cruelly undermined in her last three years by Alzheimer’s disease. As an empty nester, she was introduced to the joys of pet ownership by her little cat, Pippa Dickens Wolf, who loved nothing better than to curl up in her lap (and only her lap). A devotee of the Brooklyn Dodgers (and quintessential nice Jewish boy Sandy Koufax in particular) early in life, later in life she would develop what some might call a rabid dedication to Duke Blue Devils basketball that began with her daughters’ attendance at Duke University and lasted for many, many years beyond their graduation. But most of all, Harriet loved her family—loved caring for them, loved feeding them, and loved making life easy for them. She is missed terribly.

Harriet is survived by her husband, Paul Wolf of Ashland, MA; her children, Julie Wolf & Keith Wagner and Abby Wolf & Gentry Menzel of Framingham, MA; her grandchildren, Rachel Adina, Benjamin Asher, and Lila Allegra Wolf-Wagner, and Eliza Wolf and Nina Wolf Menzel; and multiple generations of nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was predeceased by her parents and by her younger brother, Gary.

“Grammy” leaves her five grandchildren with memories that will last forever of granola bars and pretzels during summers at the Applebriar pool and of matzah ball soup and latkes at Hanukkah, and with recipes for salmon croquettes and onion rice that could serve an army and will now be made for generations to come.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, September 19 at 11am at Temple Beth Am, 300 Pleasant Street, Framingham, MA. The service may be viewed via livestream at this link: https://tinyurl.com/hwolflive

Internment will take place at Framingham-Natick Hebrew Cemetery, 20 Windsor Avenue, Natick, MA.

Shiva information is available from the family upon request.

Harriet contributed to Jewish causes and animal charities, and her family benefited from guidance shared by the Alzheimer’s Association. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the organization of your choice.

Zichrono livracha, may Harriet Wolf’s memory always be for a blessing.