BEA FRIEDMAN
her generosity to him when he moved to Sarasota 10 years ago. “I will never forget Bea taking the extra effort to connect us with someone who could help us find a home,” he said. “She took the time to help us get settled in the community.” Even though she says the orchestra is her “baby,” Friedman’s philanthropy has helped others as well. She funded the Bea Friedman Family Lobby for the Jewish Family and Children’s Service
PHOTO BY CLIFF ROLES
and the office for the director of special events. The latter room For 60-plus years, the
was specifically chosen because Friedman has been the major
Sarasota
Orchestra,
underwriter for JFCS’ signature fundraiser at the Sarasota Or-
including its former in-
chestra for the past five years, according to Andria Bilan, JFCS’
carnation as the Florida
vice president of development.
West Coast Symphony, has been an anchor of the arts scene here, and Bea Friedman has shaped its stature in many ways for
LILLIAN MECKLER
more than 30 years. The symphony had been housed in a build-
Another act of
ing dating to the 1950s, and Friedman stepped forward to fund
generosity,
a new and expanded facility in harmony with the beautiful music
spired by a brush
created within its walls.
with death, re-
in-
sulted in an inA Brooklyn native, Friedman’s husband Allan was stationed in
novative concept
Panama during World War II and arranged for her to join him
with far-reaching
there. When the war ended, she helped with his printing business
consequences.
and eventually they relocated to Chicago where Allan started a
Lillian and the late
business designing and building phototypesetting equipment. He
Herman Meckler
died in 1975. “He had a lot more to do. He was a very industrious
had been Long-
man,” Friedman said. “He left me with a sizeable business.”
boat
Key
resi-
dents since 1992, having relocated there from London and New During their marriage, they began vacationing at the Colony and
York. Herman had a very successful career in business and as an
she came to love Sarasota, eventually moving here full time.
actor and member of the Screen Actors Guild.
“They had an orchestra here, but I put my hand to it and helped it grow,” Friedman said, even opening her home for intimate per-
In 1998, having accidentally left their car running in the garage,
formances. Her piano is signed by the renowned concert pianist
the Mecklers were rushed to Sarasota Memorial Hospital with
André Watts.
near fatal carbon monoxide poisoning. Fortunately for the Mecklers, the hospital had a hyperbaric chamber and both survived.
In addition to the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, she endowed the Allan Friedman Chair for the principal cellist, the
Grateful for the care they received, they made a substantial con-
Beatrice Friedman Chair for the principal keyboard and the Allan
tribution establishing a $1 million trust to build the Meckler Ad-
Friedman Memorial Concert, which brings world class pianists
mission Center, known as “the Mac,” which was the first facility of
to Sarasota to solo with the orchestra, says Joe McKenna, the
its kind in the United States and that since has been duplicated
orchestra’s president and CEO. She also endowed the Bea Fried-
by hundreds of other hospitals.
man Room at the Florida Studio Theatre. “It is a highly specialized unit of 12 beds,” said Alex Quarles, “She’s touched so many lives. There’s not a day goes by at the
president, CEO and trustee of the Sarasota Memorial Hospital
orchestra that we don’t think of her,” McKenna said, also recalling
Foundation. “Thousands of patients have been put through the
58
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December 2010
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