Claire Ruth Friedman

Claire Ruth Friedman of Northridge, California, passed away Thursday, September 24, 2015 (12 Tishri 5776), at age 96. She was born in New York City, the daughter of Lena and William Cohen. She received her BA at New York University, and her Masters degree at Hunter College. Claire taught English for 20 years at I.S. 117 Joseph H. Wade Junior High School in the Bronx. For the following 10 years, she was an accredited Guidance Counselor at Wade.

Claire Cohen, the eldest of three daughters, married Leonard Friedman on August 25, 1941, in New York City. They were married for 54 years, until he preceded her in death. They lived at 3551 De Kalb Ave. in the Bronx, before retiring to Delray Beach, Florida. During the Bronx years, summers spent at Lake Mahopac provided opportunity for the broader family- Nana, Gaga, the three sisters, and all of the cousins- to live together and play together on the country estate. Later summers spent in Lake Shenorock offered Leonard and Claire the times-of-their lives with the in-crowd, "The Moguls", Shenorock's version of the Rat Pack. The two boys were lifeguards on the beach, where they learned that girls love lifeguards and summer friends are often forever. In her later years, Claire relocated to Northridge, CA, to be near her two beloved sons.

Her passions in life were "My two boys", New York City, teaching to influence and improve young lives, traveling, and anything having to do with grammar and words. Well into her 90's, she would lovingly lecture on "the subjunctive" and admonish dangling participles. One of her proudest possessions was a thick binder of letters from former students thanking her for "making me love English", or "turning my life around", or "Keeping me in school". A medical student simply wrote, "Mrs. Friedman, you are the reason I am here".

Claire's magnetic attraction to babies and, in return, their attraction to her, was a sight to see. It was uncanny and perhaps mystical. It never failed. A passing baby would stare at her, then reach out to her. Then, whoever she was with would have to stand and wait while Claire and the baby would exchange smiles and affections as if the baby were her own.

From age 30 to age 95, she was always searching for ready and willing Scrabble partners. Until age 90, Claire would walk two miles on the treadmill and anxiously wait for somebody to get on the adjacent treadmill... so she could race them. That was followed by an hour of yoga. In the evenings she'd knit and knit; afghans and sweaters and whatever else her family and friends might enjoy.

Every chance she'd get to travel with her son Ron, and daughter-in-law, Phyllis, was a highlight in her rich life. and she embraced the opportunities. As a threesome, they traveled extensively, covering all corners of the Earth. Those trips and their memories made her cup runneth over.

Claire is survived by her sister, Phyllis Klausner; two sons, Ronald Jay Friedman, M.D. of Tazana, CA and Park City, Utah, and Howard Steven Friedman, M.D., of South Lake Tahoe, CA; their respective wives, Phyllis Friedman and Sheila Starcevich Friedman, and Ron and Phyllis' two sons, Mark Kenneth Friedman and Scott Andrew Friedman, M.D. Claire will be missed by her family and many friends who loved her warmth, intelligence, sense of humor, and absolute reliability to be Johnny-on-the-spot when help was needed.

She gave far more than she took.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Claire's memory to the junior high school she taught at for 20 years, I.S. 117 Joseph H. Wade Junior High School, in the Bronx. Please check back for information on how to make your gift.