Barbara Ann Siegel “Life of any real value or substance is not formed during good times, merely enjoyed.”

ANDREW(son-in-law): Barbara Ann Friedman, who eventually grew to become Barbara Ann Siegel, was deeply loved by her family and friends. If you take a moment to envision her, as we have done so often these last few days, you will see a woman who always carried a smile and an intelligence and grace that represents a model for others.

AMY (daughter): Mom was born and raised in Akron, Ohio and spent her youth with her brother Mark enjoying the simple things in life. She was a wonderful daughter to my grandparents. Marjorie and Richard—always very involved in school and extracurricular activities. She was a straight A-student, President of her Senior Class, part of student council, a cheerleader, involved in her community and the list goes on and on. She was a loving, smart and respectful daughter and a generous friend, always kind, gracious and compassionate. She enjoyed helping my grandmother who taught her many things including how to knit and appreciated my grandfather’s passion for painting. It was when Mom decided to take a job at Grossinger’s in the Catskill Mountains of New York, during her summer break leading into her Senior Year at Miami of Ohio, that the rest of her life would begin. There she met the love of her life, Fred Siegel. Dad was manning the pool while she was overseeing the guests, and within just two (yes two!) weeks they were inseparable. My Dad, not being the kind of man to waste precious time or second-guess his mind or heart, moved forward with the determination that came from knowing Mom was the one for him. On July 20th, 1969 as they both watched Buzz and Neil walk on the moon my father asked my Mom “what do you think about spending the rest of our lives together?” And subsequently Dad was himself OVER the moon when she responded “yes.” Mom and Dad were married in the Fall of 1969, and had celebrations hosted by my grandparents Aaron and Blanche in NY and then in Akron with Mom’s parents. Once married, they lived and worked in New York City, then eventually made their way north to the suburbs of Rockland County. They spent several years in three different homes in three different towns, raising a family and making special friendships. While my Dad taught Physical Education and was a school administrator in Yonkers, my Mom dedicated her career to working her way up the ladder in Health Information Management. When Mom married Dad, she had put her senior year of college on hold, but always knew she would finish her degree (which she did) but also went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude with her Masters in HIM from The New School. Mom spent over 3 decades building and managing infrastructure that underpins what we are experiencing today. Mom was heavily entrenched in world of HIM(Health information management) and even testified on behalf of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) as its President and presented to thousands of people in attendance on the outlook for HIM and digitization of medical records at multiple industry conferences. Mom oversaw teams of people at Phelps Memorial Hospital in Rockland, Valley and Hackensack Hospitals in NJ and ended her career at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary in NYC. At that time, I happened to work around the corner from NY Eye & Ear and was fortunate to spend many lunch breaks with her before she retired. Mom was a deeply loved and respected professional, and we will always remember her contributions as the healthcare world continues to evolve for the good of humanity. When my parents were not changing the world for the better in both Education and Healthcare, they were raising two future leaders of their own, myself and my brother Eric. My parents were always so supportive in whatever activity we took on. . .art, figure skating, dance, baton twirling for me and football, lacrosse and wrestling for my brother. They were always in the stands cheering us on but also emphasized good grades and focus on scholarship as a key family priority. We always felt loved and never wanted for anything, celebrated many special occasions and enjoyed many family trips together as well as several summers at day camp where my Dad would run the swim programs. Mom and Dad believed in having fun but at the same time being committed to hard work and not giving up on one’s goals—this work ethic was instilled in myself and Eric, and we are thankful to say is being instilled in our own children today. ANDREW: I first met Barbara at the Uptown Lounge in NYC in August 2005. She was always there to support Amy and I as we developed our relationship. I remember her being proud of Amy and Eric at their being self-sufficient and successful adults in Manhattan. She spoke glowingly of Eric’s leadership roles in the Retail space, while Amy was planning amazing Events for a charitable foundation. Over the years, we would continue to spend lots of time together laughing and taking in special adventures and experiences. Barbara played host to her longtime best friends as she took us to the Robin Hood Foundation Rolling Stones concert at Radio City Music Hall. She enjoyed the 12-12-12 concert for Hurricane Sandy Relief, and attended multiple Robin Hood Foundation Galas to support Amy. Barbara let her hair down and danced her tail off in Florham Park, New Jersey on September 14th, 2008 and then again in Hilton Head, SC on September 17th, 2016 as her children found love and marriage themselves. She became a loving and wonderful mother to both Allison and myself, and shared her love with the Sheer and Sinclair families over these last 15 years. Barbara is the kind of mother-in-law that you hope and dream of having, as she always added her wisdom and love and support without any interference. It was clear that she had confidence and faith in her son and daughter, and the partners and extended families they had chosen to form their own life with. Over these last few years, a cast of new characters joined Barbara’s rich life. Logan led the way, then Raya, and most recently, a whole platoon of Aiden, Charlie and Chase. Four strong grand-sons and a beautiful grand-daughter to display all of Barbara’s finest qualities. When you look at the five of them, it’s easy to notice Barbara’s smile and squinted eyes when they show their joy and affection. Raya will sometimes let out a phrase or quick exclamation that makes me think “Barbara would’ve said that.” In the end, we prefer to forget the damage that Alzheimer’s and Dementia and, most recently, Coronavirus caused to such a strong and lovely woman like Barbara. Those are just footnotes, and she battled hard over these last few years to remember her family and their names and maintain her sunny disposition that she had these last 71+ years. Instead, I want us to remember her positive and optimistic attitude, her dedication to quality and noble work, to her children and grandchildren, to her husband and the realization of a family of love and joy. She could be silly, and she could lend her wisdom. She could dance and sing to Peter, Paul & Mary and she could finish a Crossword Puzzle, Book or Sudoku with the greatest of ease. Most of all, Barbara was the best Mom and Nana and fulfilled those roles for her 2 children and 5 grandchildren. All of us and this world were so blessed to have Barbara in it, and we will miss her until the end of time