Shirley Esther Friedman Abrams

“My mom spent the first 10 years of her life in Twin Falls, Idaho and maintained lifelong friendships with some of her childhood friends from Idaho.  She continued to accumulate devoted lifelong friends wherever she lived. Guests from her 50th wedding anniversary to my father included Reva Alban from Idaho, sorority sisters from UCLA, and a couple of her Friedman cousins – Judy Briskin and Beverly. Family was very important to her. Staying close with her Friedman cousins was always a priority for her and she regularly met many of the cousins for lunch right up until the last few weeks of her life. Any time that she travelled (and she enjoyed traveling in the US and abroad), she would always visit friends and family. In return, many out of town friends and relatives stayed at our home when they visited LA (even though we lived outside of town in Pomona).  

 

Sharing experiences with friends and family was always her top priority. As the pictures show, she took great delight in spending time with her daughter, Gale, who lived nearby in Upland and traveling regularly to San Francisco, then in Oregon to spend time with me and my family.

 

She cared deeply about education and later in her life, became the LA County Office of Education coordinator for both truant students and homeless students. She traveled to two White House Conferences on Children and Youth, held at the White House, as part of the California delegation. Her path to great responsibility in the world of educating truant and homeless youth began when she served as the elementary school PTA President, then volunteered for the county’s education Coordinating Council, then the county School Attendant’s Review Board. Her knowledge and experience became so valuable that the LA County Office of Education hired her full-time in this leadership position for her final 20 years of work.    

 

Shirley took a similar leadership path with the Jewish community by volunteering then becoming the board president first, for the Eastern Region Jewish Community Federation, and then the board president for the LA Jewish Community Federation at 6505 Wilshire Blvd. (an address I memorized because she drove there so often from Pomona).  

 

She always dressed impeccably (St. Johns and Eileen Fisher were her favorite designers). My parents were big fans of the arts and were members of most of the local art museums, held season tickets to both the Music Center and the Pasadena Playhouse and the LA Philharmonic.  

 

She was the favored confidante for many friends and family members, always supportive and never judgmental.  

 

 I am very proud of her!”