Betty Freund Abrams

PORTLAND – Betty Freund Abrams, nee Kandelman,100, of Portland, formerly Simsbury, Connecticut, and Levittown, New York, passed away peacefully on July 21, 2024, in Portland. Funeral service will be held at Levey Memorial Chapel, 471 Deering Ave., Portland, on July 24, 2024 at noon with Rabbi Gary Berenson of Portland Chevra Kadisha officiating. Burial will follow at Temple Beth El Memorial Park in Portland.

Betty was born in the Bronx, New York, to Jacob and Rose Kandelman on June 26, 1924. She was the youngest of four sisters. She graduated from Straubenmuller Textile High School in 1942 and was employed as a bookkeeper and secretary most of her working life. She enjoyed reading, cooking and current events. For many years, Betty was president of the PTA in Levittown, New York. She was a wonderful cook and enjoyed preparing and sharing holidays meals with her family. While married to Arthur she traveled the world raising her family in such places as Bangor, Bermuda, Guam, Anchorage, Alaska, Shepherdstown and Martinsburg, West Virginia and several locations in, but primarily Long Island, New York, raising their four children. Always ready for an adventure, the family moved to Scarborough, in 1971 where she and Artie owned and ran Woodlawn Motor Court. She remained in Scarborough after Arthur’s death and Ruth’s high school graduation and in 1982 she married Herb Abrams and moved back to Levittown, New York. There, Betty was President of her local Hadassah Chapter in Nassau County, New York for several years and was a devoted volunteer at Nassau County Medical Center before moving to Simsbury, Connecticut with her husband Herb in their later years.

Betty is survived by her daughter Katherine Freund of Portland, Maine, son Daniel Freund and wife Julie of South Freeport, Maine and daughter Dr. Ruth S. Goldblatt and her husband Loel of Simsbury, Connecticut and stepson Daniel Abrams and wife Andrea of Bridgehampton, New York. Other survivors are grandchildren, Alison Weiss and husband Ben Weiss, Ryan Walsh and wife Dr. Emily Dornblaser, Jacob Freund and husband Kristopher Castle, Hugh Freund and wife Lindsey O’Connell, Ari Goldblatt and Noah Goldblatt and great grandchildren Joel and Shoshana Weiss, Tessa and Arthur Walsh and Theo Freund.

She was preceded in death by both of her husbands, Arthur Freund and Herbert Abrams, and son Joel S. Freund and stepdaughter Barbara Abrams.

Betty was a very hard-working, fun-loving mom, grandma and great-grandma. She will be greatly missed.

Shiva minyan will be held at the home of Ruth and Loel Goldblatt, 14 Richard Road, Simsbury, Conn., on Thursday July 25, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. Service at 7 p.m.

Arrangements entrusted to Portland Jewish Funeral Home.

Memorial donations may be made to Hadassah @ https://www.hadassah.org/donate, http://www.itnamerica.org or The Farmington Valley Jewish Congregation 55 Bushy Hill Road Simsbury, CT https://fvjc.org/donation-form/ (Holocaust Torah Fund)