Obituary of Louise O. Friedman

Louise Oakley (Green) Friedman, 89, was a woman who lived and died on her own terms. Born in Flatbush, Brooklyn, she was raised in Lincoln Park, New Jersey and lived most of her adult life in nearby Boonton. She was the first woman to be elected to the Boonton Board of Aldermen in 1976, served as the Secretary of the Morris County Democratic Party, was appointed to two four-year terms on the New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers, and was a member of advisory boards of the New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code and the New Jersey State Council on Vocational Technical Education. A self-taught writer, she wrote and illustrated children's stories for small publications, served two terms as President of the New Jersey Poetry Society with poetry published in its anthologies, was a member of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, had an educational newspaper column in the Ledgewood Star-Journal and taught creative writing and high school equivalency courses in night school. In addition, she held writer's workshops at Princeton University and Ramapo College. She also hosted her own radio show on WXMC in Parsippany, interviewing local personalities, as well as writing and broadcasting shorter spots on WKER, Morris Plains; WRAN, Dover; WDHA, Randolph and WMTR, Morristown. An avid gardener, she was a member and past President of the Rockaway Valley Garden Club. She also lectured on conservation and environmental issues at Rutgers University on behalf of the Garden Club of New Jersey. Most of her career accomplishments took place before she earned her college degree, which she pursued when her youngest child was in high school. She is a graduate of the County College of Morris with an associate's degree in Social Science/Humanities and Montclair State College with a bachelor's degree in English with a teacher's certification. Her husband of 48 years, Alfred, predeceased her in 1995. She is survived by her son, Thomas, his wife, Marcia, and grandson, David in Tallahassee, Florida, and her daughter, Nancy Dreyfus, her husband, Stephen, and grandchildren, Jessica and Chelsea Thompson of Rockaway, New Jersey. A Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday at 11 AM at the Codey & Mackey Funeral Home, 107 Essex Avenue, Boonton, NJ 07005. The interment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery in Boonton. Visitation is on Tuesday from 7-9 PM.