Irving Joel Friedman was born on March 20, 1943 in the Bronx, New York, the son of Ben A. & Estella Friedman. He passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday afternoon, July 1, 2014, in Suffield, CT amongst his immediate family following a half-year battle with lung cancer. He was 71 years old.

He was a veteran of the United States Army, serving from 1960-1962, also over in Germany.

Irving graduated from Florida State University in a mere two years; he was a highly intelligent individual and possessed phenomenal insight. During this time, his long-running interest in politics and activism began when he aided in numerous protests during the Civil Rights Movement.

He was employed by CIGNA for 24 years, eventually assuming the role of Vice President of Facilities Management, before moving on to also work with Reliance National in New York City and subsequently as a consultant for the Lincoln Financial Group.

Irving’s extraordinary interest in politics & global news most likely led him also to engage so actively in his local community in Suffield, which he called home since 1973. In the past he served on the Board of Finance, the Advisory Commission on Capital Expenditures, the Water Pollution Control Authority and the Friends of the Kent Memorial Library Board. He was currently involved on the Suffield Democratic Town Committee, which he had been for several years, and was also certified as a Justice of the Peace.

After Irv’s retirement, he continued to pursue his most favorite activities, such as cycling, hiking, cross-country skiing, & snow-shoeing: primarily enjoying time with friends & family in the great outdoors. Whether merely driving to their vacation home in Chester, VT or around the country or even globe, he enjoyed travel greatly and the thrill of new experiences. Just the previous year, in 2013, Irving had also logged over 6000 miles on his bicycle at age 70.

A devoted and loving husband, as well as an exemplary role model as a father, Irving is survived by wife Dian Debra Friedman, along with their two sons, Benjamin Aaron & Joshua Jason.

Funeral service is scheduled for today, Thursday July 3, 2014 at 1 PM at the Weinstein Mortuary, 640 Farmington Ave, Hartford. Please send any donations in his memory to The Jimmy Fund or Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, or to the Village For Families & Children in Hartford.

The family would also like to mention their extreme gratitude during this time to Kathy Ostrowski from Masonicare along with Dr. Geoffrey Oxnard & the staff of the Dana-Farber Institute.