Gayla N. Friedman Obituary (1942 - 2020)

Beloved wife, mother and grandmother, Gayla Nan Friedman, 77, of Overland Park, Kansas, passed away on January 13, 2020, in her home surrounded by her loved ones, following a battle with Lewy body dementia and multiple myeloma. Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m., Monday, January 20, 2020, at the chapel inside Kehilath Israel Blue Ridge Cemetery, 1901 Blue Ridge Boulevard, Independence, Missouri, 64052. Burial will follow immediately after in the same location. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Heart of America Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Gayla was born on April 10, 1942, to Irving and Shirley (Pfeffer) Greenberg. A graduate of Southeast High School, she worked for Hallmark for 25 years. A Kehilath Israel member, she volunteered annually to help hospitals and soup kitchens during the holidays. She was preceded in death by her parents; her uncle, J. Louis Lesky; her sister-in-law, Fran Malcy; and her nephew, Ryan Greenberg. Gayla is survived by her beloved husband of 55 years, Robert; “favorite” daughter, Stacy Brown (Rob); grandchildren Jack and Chloe; brothers Bob (Susan) Greenberg and Larry (Genie) Greenberg; aunt Betty Lesky; and so many loving nieces, nephews and cousins. A teenage exhibitor at the Plaza Art Fair, Gayla was a gifted artist, painting many hundreds of canvases throughout her lifetime; stitching intricate pieces that often took years to complete; and, as many friends and family members will fondly recall, knitting blankets, baby clothes and dolls. Poised but deeply funny, she was moved to obscenity-laced cheers watching her teams, the Royals and the Chiefs, and she may just have been Corinth Library’s and JoAnn Fabric’s number-one customer. Whether she was painting, knitting, baking or reading World War II history books, her greatest sources of joy in life were her grandchildren, husband and daughter. Deepest thanks are bestowed on Gayla’s loving private-duty nurse and the dear members of Harbor Hospice, who cared for her like family in her final months and days. During that time, she accomplished exactly what she set out to do when she’d first faced her diagnosis: to stay in her home and to keep painting.