Lucille Carolyn Friedman
Lucille Carolyn Friedman passed away March 7, 2025. Born in Philadelphia on March 21, 1944, Lucille was the daughter of Jane and Edwin Blankenhorn and the dearly loved sister of Patricia and Michael. In Philadelphia, she met and married the love of her life, Dr. Shlomo Friedman. Together, they built a beautiful life and later moved to Dallas, where they raised their three children. Lucille was a devoted member of Congregation Shearith Israel, where she was deeply involved for many years, including running the synagogue’s gift shop with great care and dedication. Known for her impeccable fashion sense, she carried herself with grace and warmth, always bringing joy to those around her. Lucille enjoyed traveling, especially her many trips to Israel. She is survived by her beloved grandson, Judah Friedman; her niece, Shannon Shavitz; her great-nephew, Zion Shavitz; and many dear friends who cherished her kindness and vibrant spirit. Lucille’s memory will be a blessing to all who knew and loved her.
Funeral services were held March 9 at Shearith Israel Cemetery, with Rabbi Shira Wallach officiating. Arrangements were made by Dallas Jewish Funerals.
Gail Raphael
Gail Raphael (née Frank), age 82, of Dallas, originally of Northbrook, Illinois, passed away Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Plano. She was the beloved wife of Arthur Raphael; loving mother to Lance (Karolyn) Raphael and Adrienne (Aaron) Bransky; proud “Meemah” of Matthew, Joshua and Sarah Bransky; proud “Grandma Gail” of Liam, Merrick and Eryn Raphael; dear sister of Ira (Laura) Frank and Helene (David) Rosner; cherished aunt; and devoted friend to many.
Gail was born on Election Day, Nov. 3, 1942, in Edgewater Hospital in Chicago. At 2 years old, Gail and her mom relocated to Victoria, Texas, to live on a farm near the Army base where her dad trained to be a pilot for the Army Air Force. After the war, she and her family went back to Chicago. In her early teens they moved to Skokie and lived in the home built by her father. She graduated from Niles East in 1960 and attended DePaul for 2 years until she met Arthur, the love of her life. It was obvious from the start that their love was meant to endure. Wed in the middle of a brutal Chicago ice storm, this past January they celebrated 60 years of marriage surrounded by their children and grandchildren.
In addition to her duties as a full-time mom, Gail was an active member of Jewish Women International (formerly B’nai B’rith Women). She held many positions for the Aura Chapter, including president. During her tenure as the Land of Lakes regional chair, Gail led the four-state region in advocating for and raising funds on behalf of the Jerusalem Hills Therapeutic Centers (a residential home in Israel for children who experienced abuse, neglect or abandonment) and the March of Dimes. She also supported the Heroes of Democracy Program (formerly Dolls for Democracy) by traveling to local schools and community meetings to educate children about the importance of diversity and democratic values through the use of hand-carved wooden character dolls. It was during this time she became close friends with Anita Pearlman, the founder of B’nai B’rith Girls. At Anita’s urging, Gail ran for and was elected to the National Executive Board of Jewish Women International and as part of those duties sat on the National Executive Board of B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and the Chicago Executive Board of the Anti-Defamation League. During her time on the board, Gail worked tirelessly on domestic abuse education and awareness activities, as well as efforts to fight antisemitism and the use of the term “Jewish-American Princess.”
Once her oldest child went off to college, Gail became a travel agent serving both corporate and leisure travel clients for close to 15 years. Once most airlines and hotels went online, Gail switched gears and left the travel industry to work as the operations manager and financial controller for the Consumer Advocacy Center, PC, a Chicago-based national law firm devoted to protecting consumers’ rights. She continued in this role until 2014.
Rabbi Michael Beals, loving cousin of the deceased, flew in from Delaware to officiate the funeral service held on March 16 in Dallas. Arrangements were made by Dallas Jewish Funerals.
Contributions may be made in Gail’s memory to ACEing Autism or the Anti-Defamation League.
