Rita Ellen Friedman, 81, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, passed late in the evening on July 6th in hospice care following a courageous three-month battle with AML. Her life shined bright through family, fitness, friends, philanthropy, and a fighting spirit. She was a true force of nature and inspired all who knew her.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1944, Rita lived there until 1976, then moved to Minnesota with her husband, Sheldon Friedman, and daughters, Debra and Hillary. In 1995, Rita and Sheldon settled in Ponte Vedra Beach, sharing 61 years of marriage.
A devoted mother to Debra and Hillary, she’s a friend who “spread joy like sunshine.” A self-proclaimed “gym rat” with Sheldon at The Lodge, her dedication inspired others, with a friend vowing to “hit the Stairmaster in her memory.” One friend remembered her saying, “You’ve been such a good friend through thick and thin and over many, many years, I could always count on an uplifting message from you with TONS of questions.”
Rita loved to dance. She and Sheldon would often show off their beautiful dance moves whenever they had a chance. She loved hiking with her family out west, sipping wine at Columbia Gorge wineries, and enjoying dark ales and good food with family and friends. In her neighborhood, where she lived for 30 years, her neighbors loved seeing her walking and reading a book for exercise. She also looked out for the community’s best interests as an active HOA board member.
A skilled saleswoman with Dale Carnegie Training and her own Ad Specialty business, Rita supported Debra and Hillary through college and in all their endeavors. Her philanthropy shined through raising money for cancer, volunteering with children, and donating to her favorite charities.
Endlessly curious and interested in so many things, Rita recently found new passions in painting and theater where she and Sheldon earned rave reviews at a local community theater production. As a fighter, she faced her cancer battle with grace and grit, a friend calling her “a beautiful soul whose laughter was pure magic.”
Rita is survived by her loving husband, Sheldon; daughters, Debra and Hillary; and many friends. A memorial will be planned for early Fall.
In lieu of flowers, please contribute to one of her favorite charities (Wounded Warrior Project https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/, Tunnels to Towers https://t2t.org/, Magen David Adom https://afmda.org/) and/or honor her with a challenging workout, hike, laugh, or kind act—her way of living well.
