Tuula M. Friedman

Tuula M. Friedman, age 73, of Hawthorne, NJ, passed away on Tuesday, July 26, 2022.  Tuula was born in rural Finland in the small town of Veteli to her parents, Kauko and Irma Niemi (Pihlajamaa).  Along with her parents and brother, Touko, and sister, Liisa, she bravely made the journey by ship across the Atlantic at the age of 4, living for a short time in Flushing, NY before settling in Glen Cove, NY on the North Shore of Long Island, where she lived the next five decades of her life.  At the age of 19, she began working as a Ground Hostess for El Al Airlines at JFK Airport, where she met her husband, Herbert Friedman.  After leaving El Al, she and Herbert started their own cards and gifts business, first in New Hyde Park, NY and later in Lynbrook, NY.  Tuula was a dear friend to the scores of regular customers who made a habit of stopping by, sometimes just to say hello.  Upon retirement, Tuula spent time living in Hypoluxo, FL and New Windsor, NY, before moving to Hawthorne, NJ so she could be closer to her family.  She was passionate about advocating for justice and equality, and delighted in meeting new friends and taking on new hobbies, such as painting, yoga, listening to classical music, and learning about the stars.  She most enjoyed spending time with her son, Jason Friedman, and daughter-in-law, Norah Friedman, and especially her granddaughter, Caroline (10), with whom she shared a love of art.  Tuula is survived by her devoted husband of 53 years, Herbert Friedman of Hawthorne, her son, Jason, and his wife, Norah, and her granddaughter, Caroline, of Ridgewood, NJ.

The family will receive friends on Sunday, August 14th, from 10:00AM-12:00PM at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home in Wyckoff, NJ (257 Godwin Ave, Wyckoff, NJ 07481). A brief memorial service will take place at the completion of the visiting hours. As an expression of sympathy, in lieu of flowers, donations in Tuula’s memory may be made to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation: https://www.bcrf.org/ or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research: https://www.michaeljfox.org/

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