Dr. Freilich was my internist for 45 years.   First in Stuyvesant Town then down on Delancy Street.   We both graduated from the Bronx High School of Science though many years apart.  He graduated from medical school the year I was born in 1961!
He practiced 'old school' medicine with compassion, guidance and knowledge.  I always appreciated his sarcastic sense of humor.
I asked him many years back when he was going to retire and he said to me "I don't play golf!"  I always knew when I saw him for my annual physical I was in good hands.  I will miss him as my internist and a fellow human being.

Ted was a special person and dear friend for  more than 60 years. I particularly loved the Yiddish part of him which he kept forever. 
I sensed something was wrong when he didn’t respond to the texts I sent regarding my feelings towards a Yiddish writer’s book I had just finished and loved. Ted had so much knowledge, thought and depth in every subject we touched upon. 
He was a glorious person full of life, love  and caring. The world has lost a.
 Beautiful Human being with his passing. 
Maxine Rosenberg

I worked with Dr Freilich at NYU and his office was across from mine. He greeted me each morning with a warm smile and good morning. He was such a kind soul, such a gentleman, he loved to travel and told me of his travel to India to Banaras to the Ganges. I was on vacation when he passed and was extremely sad to hear about it. He is greatly missed by all of us at the office. May his soul rest in peace.
Dr Palayekar

I have known Dr Freilich for over thirty years, as a colleague and as his patient. To say that he was the best doesn’t even start to encompass what a wonderful man he was.   He was brilliant, kind, and compassionate. He cared so much for his patients, and he used his incredible sense of humor to make difficult clinical situations more manageable for the patient. 
Dr Freilich, you were the greatest! 
May you rest in peace.

Dr. Theo was my PCP for many years at NYU Delancey St and he was such an experienced physician and knew my medical history very well. I will miss him. I didn't know he was 87 years old, that was the last time he treated me. I would do anything to have a doctor just like Dr Theo, who is nostalgic, and very experienced in age. May God rest his soul in eternal peace.

We have been patients of Dr. Freilich for more than thirty years. He was such a vibrant, funny and wonderful man.Needless to say, a great Physician. My husband and I always looked forward to hearing him say that our check-ups were boring ! He will be dearly missed. Our deepest condolences go out to his beloved family.
May his Memory be a Blessing.
Marcia & Dan Zamfir

“Hello. I’m Dr. Freilich. In Yiddish, Freilich means happy. So you can call me Dr. Happy.”

Thus began 22 years of health and joy under the wonderful care and deluge of Dad-jokes. 

Dear God, thank you for  gifting him to us.

Dr. Theodore Freilich was my doctor for a few years. He never gave up on me and always took the time to see me. Because of Dr. Freilich, I quit smoking for 3 years now. Thank you for taking care of me throughout these years. May Dr. Freilich rest in peace.

To The Freilich family,

I and my husband were patients of Dr. Freilich's for many years. He was always kind and caring and we will truly miss him.
We actually chose him to handle our medical needs because he was my husband's maternal grandmothers doctor . The whole family was always enamored with him and highly recommended him. He truly lived up to our expectations.
 Interestingly he passed on that grandma's yahrzeit, so we will always remember that.
 My deepest condolences to your family. 
If you could please share his and his dad's hebrew name we would like to commemorate it yearly.

Sincerely,

The Schwartz and Ehrnfeld  family

To Chuck, Donnie, Shonnie and Yael, their children and generations to come:
Someday your child may cry
And if you sing this lullaby
Then in your heart
There will always be a part of me
Someday we’ll all be gone
But lullabies go on and on
They never die
That’s how you
And I will be.                 
From Billy Joel’s Lullaby, Goodnight, My Angel. 

People are mortal, but love, memory and the ‘songs’ we pass down keep living after us.
I know he would say to you: Even if I’m not physically here, my love will still be with you.

To The Freilich family, 

I was a patient of Dr. Freilich's for many years. He was always kind and caring. I will truly miss him and so will my daughters who accompanied me on my appointments.  My deepest condolences to your family.

Sincerely,  

Wilhelmina Jenkins

To the family of Dr. Freilich,
When I received the message today from NYU Langone that Dr. Freilich passed away, I felt like I was grieving for an old friend.  He was my primary care doctor for 30 years.  His great care, amazing bedside manner, knowledge and compassion were unmatched.   His joy of living and life force were so evident, I was truly shocked he had passed away.   He will be sorely missed, and I feel very fortunate he was my doctor for all these years. 
Rest In Peace Dr. Freilich. 
Sincerely,
Lynne Neubeck

My condolences to Dr Freilich’s family. He was such a wonderful doctor. I was a patient of his for 33 years. He always gave you his full attention and time.  Thank you, Dr Freilich for always being available to secure my medical care. You’re the best and you are a gem. I know I’ll never find another like you.  You are and will be greatly missed.   

Sincerely, your patient

Deborah Stanislaus

I was very saddened to receive the Email today  to hear the news of the passing of Dr. Freilich. He was my physician for the past 7 years. I wish nothing but wonderful memories of love for his family, friends and patients. 

Baruch Dayan HaEmet

Dr. Freilich was my PCP for the past 24 years. I discovered him at his office in Stuyvesant Town and followed him to his new office on. Delancey Street. 

Considering the patients I saw in his waiting room I assume I was one of his more eccentric regulars, although I don't think he appreciated all my tattoos and lifestyle choices,  we bonded as fellow jews and would yuk it up about the ridiculousness of the world, politics, and life whenever I came in for a physical or to address a health concern. 

I actually had an appointment with him this coming Friday and found out he passed in a rather roundabout manner. I'm scrambling to try and get some prescriptions filled now, and I think he would have found this timing somewhat amusing. I just switched my insurance carrier in order to continue seeing him. 

Theodore was my doctor and I would also consider him something of a friend. A very kind and funny man. I will miss him and his guidance of my well being.  May he rest in peace. 

My sincerest condolences to his friends and family. He lived a good, long life.

I was very saddened to hear the news of Dr. Freilich's passing.  He was my physician for the last 22 years.  He reminded me of my father who passed in 2017.  He was also a physician and a graduate of Bronx Science.  I always left his office feeling better than when I walked in.  

May his memory be a blessing.

Dr. Theodore Freilich was my mother‘s physician for many years before her passing in 2017.  After which time I then became a patient of Dr. Freilich because of the tremendous care and wonderful treatment that my mother received from him. He  always made time for my mother whenever she needed to see him, so I knew that I also would be in the right hands as well. I just heard of the sad news today, so I wish for his entire family  nothing but wonderful memories and love. Dr. Freilich was truly an amazing person, and very thankful to have had him as our family physician.

Dr. Freilich was my primary doctor for almost 20 years, and I am truly heartbroken to hear of his passing. He was not only an exceptional physician, but also one of the most patient, compassionate, and caring people I’ve ever met. He always made me feel heard, valued, and genuinely cared for.

Even after I moved nearly two hours upstate almost six years ago, I never changed doctors because the trust I had in him was something rare and irreplaceable. I never minded making the trip because I knew I was in good hands.

Thank you, Dr. Freilich, for your years of dedication, kindness, and care. You made a lasting impact on so many lives, including mine, and you will be truly missed. My deepest condolences to his family, loved ones, staff, and all of the patients whose lives he touched. May he Rest in Peace.

My condolences to the family on the loss of this warm and charming man. He was our caring doctor for decades and he always made us laugh and feel so good about being alive. I shared the same birthday with him and my husband was a Cornell man too, so
There was always a friendly bond. May he rest in eternal light.
Stephen and Kathy Gottlieb

To all the Family,
Mishtatfim betza'arhem.
As the Israeli ex-neighbors, side by side doors, we always enjoyed our casual meetings with Ted in the hallway of the 25th floor, whenever we were in town.
Ted and Yossi enjoyed "sparring" on the current political situation in our two countries...and usually ending up agreeing!
May Ted's memory and great deeds be a blessing. 
Zichrono livracha.
Sandy and Yossi Shekel

Four generations together in Israel: Tal, Kfir, Tom, and Idit.

We are deeply saddened to hear of Dr. Freilich’s passing. Though our time together as neighbors at MHM was brief, every interaction we had with him left a positive impression. He was an incredibly kind and warm soul who always made a point to stop and say hello. What touched us most was his genuine fondness for our toddler son — he would light up when he saw him and always took a moment to ask how he was doing. At 89 years, he clearly lived a life full of meaning, and we feel fortunate to have crossed paths with him. Our hearts go out to his family during this difficult time, and we hope they find comfort in knowing how many lives he touched, even in the simplest of ways.

Ted was a very kind man , a lover of Yiddish and his background.I very much enjoyed playing bridge with him. I will miss him. Midge Dembitzer.

Very sorry to hear about Ted
I only met him about 3 yrs ago at NYU
The ultimate gentleman
I was only with him one day a week at the office but always made sure to say hello and shmooze a bit

He was a wonderful man and he will certainly be missed.

I just shared the sad news with one of his 76yo patients who was shocked and quickly told me of the wonderful care that Ted provides his parents for many years

He will be missed

For 7 years, I had the privilege of working alongside Dr. Freilich at the NYU practice where he cared for patients, and during that time, he became someone I deeply admired and cared for. I learned so much from him — not just about medicine, but about life, history, culture, and humanity.

He shared incredible stories about his time in Israel, how he learned to play bridge after stepping in for another soldier who had been called away during a game, and his travels through Spain during the Franco dictatorship . He spoke so lovingly about his family, his travels, and the experiences that shaped him. Every conversation with him felt meaningful.

Dr. Freilich cared deeply for his patients, for medicine, and for people. He had a warmth and curiosity that made a lasting impression on everyone around him. I will miss his cheerful “hey you” greeting in the mornings, his wonderful stories, his humor, and his kindness. But most of all, I will miss his humanity and the way he made people feel seen and valued.

I feel incredibly lucky and grateful to have known him. Rest in peace, Dr. Freilich. You will be deeply missed.

Dr. Freilich is the most kindest person I had met from the first moment he picked me up from TelAviv airport early morning of year 1972.  Working with him and his family is an experience I will never forget, it changes my life.  If not for his help, Mrs. Anne Freilich and all his four wonderful kids, I would not be able to be here in United States. Taking me on their Israel camping trip and then a lovely vacation in Europe is something that I will always cherish. Dr. Freilich and his whole family made me feel like a part of them.  He helped me when I was having serious health issues as well as helped me bring my daughter here in America.  All the kindness, thoughtfulness, hospitality of Dr. Theodore Freilich will always be in my heart. I wholeheartedly thank him and his family for letting me share the experience working with them. With heartfelt condolence to the loving family.

Shani, we were so sorry to hear about the passing of your father. We know how much he meant to you and your entire family. While saying goodbye is never easy, he had a remarkable journey; it is clear he lived a beautiful, full life surrounded by the people he loved.

May your memories of him bring you and your family comfort during this time. Zichrono livracha. 

We are here for you for anything you need, always.

Love,
Hamdi and Deb

Ted was like a second father to me. He asked me to join his practice right out of residency. He was a brilliant physician and taught me countless clinical pearls. Beyond that he taught me many things about life. First and foremost, love for family. He would point to his family and say “This is my gold.” 
He loved medicine and always said he would never retire.  “I’ll retire when they carry me out.” He did that! I tell people I want to do the same thing. I learned that from him. 
When the senior doctor in the practice died suddenly while walking outside, Ted said he did it right. No prolonged sickness. Ted, you did that right too.  He was my role model for many things and gave me advice about life. We both acknowledged that you spend more time with your colleague than your family. When our careers took different paths we remained friends and I continued to look up to him and learn from him. We both ended up at NYU and it was like old times. When my Mom passed away at almost 89 we spoke and I said she had a good run. He was 83 at the time and he said that used to sound old, which made me laugh even in a sad time. When I went through difficult times he was there to offer great advice and put things into perspective. I’m not actually family but I know all of his close family well and he kept me updated with what was happening in their lives through the years. When I saw him recently and he updated me so proudly on all of his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren he joked in his Tedian way something I actually I won’t put here. But it typified both his sense of humor and his pride in his family. I consider myself family elect. I write this with tears welling up. I always knew this day was coming but I dreaded it. I lost one of my greatest advisors and great friend. Ted, thank you for everything you taught me in medicine and in life. Now I’m the old people. You will be missed greatly. Rest in peace. Oh, and please give my Mom and Dad a hug for me.

OBITUARY

Theodore Freilich

June 14, 1936 – May 21, 2026

Riverside Memorial Chapel

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