Sondra "Sandy" (Cohen) Greenwald

Sondra “Sandy,” Greenwald, age 89, of Lasell Village in Newton, formerly of Framingham and Upton, died of ovarian cancer on Wednesday, November 23, 2022.

For over 70 years she was the beloved wife of Alan Greenwald. Loving mother of Steven & his wife Tavisa Greenwald, Ricky Greenwald & his former wife Hanneli de Vries, and Jill & her husband Philip Robbins. Adored grandmother of Bradley, Popia, Naama, Scarlet, and Molli. Dear sister of Howard Cohen. She also had meaningful long-term relationships with other family members, friends, and colleagues.

Sandy and Alan were true partners who always shared a deep love for each other. Sandy, a genuinely fine person, will be loved and missed forever.

Sandy grew up in Fall River. She attended Durfee High School, and for her senior year attended and graduated from Dean Academy in Franklin. It was then on to Brandeis University in 1951, to join Brandeis’ fourth class. Early in her freshman year, she met Alan Greenwald, a member of Brandeis’ first class, and they married a year and a half later, at the ages of 20 and 21 respectively.

After graduating from Brandeis, Sandy concentrated on raising a family. When Steve, Ricky, and then Jill entered school, Sandy herself returned to school and obtained her Master’s degree in social work from Boston University. After practicing psychotherapy at various agencies, she decided to open her own office with the idea of keeping it very small. She brought in a few independent contractors, obtained a small suite of offices in Milford, and called her new business Milford-Franklin Counseling Services (MFCS). She brought in excellent clinicians, created a warm and friendly environment, and MFCS earned an excellent reputation. Contrary to her initial intent of staying small, in the last 36 years, MFCS grew to approximately 30 clinicians. Sandy herself was a highly regarded therapist, until her retirement just a few months ago.

Sandy was an adventurer. She and Alan visited Haiti at the beginning of Baby Doc’s regime. They hiked along the Amazon River and visited various regions of Peru, including Machu Picchu. They enjoyed two trips to Israel (including a side trip to Egypt), a trip to India and Nepal, a trip to the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador, a trip to Burma, Thailand, and Hong Kong, and various trips to Europe including a strenuous hiking trip to Italy when they were in their mid-seventies. Sandy was an exercise buff, strenuously working out twice a week at a gym, under the guidance of a trainer, until COVID. Her exercise regime in her 70s and 80s was so unusual that she was written up twice in a local newspaper.

Sandy was passionate about gardening. For many years she grew vegetables in an 1800 square foot fenced in area at their Framingham home. When Sandy and Alan started spending substantial time at their summer home in Truro (which she loved), she continued to garden, growing vegetables and flowers in a fenced-in area there. Sandy and Alan lived in Framingham for 55 years, during which time Sandy assumed leadership roles in various charitable organizations.

Services will be held at the Levine Chapels, 470 Harvard Street, Brookline, on Sunday, November 27 at 12:00 noon. Burial will follow at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham St., Sharon.

Memorial observance will be at the Upton home of Steven and Tavisa Greenwald on Sunday 6-8pm, Monday 2-5pm, and Monday 6-8pm; and at the Northampton home of Hanneli de Vries on Tuesday 6-8pm.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the American Civil Liberties Union, www.aclu.org