Toby Frances (Gershon) Lieberman — a longtime resident of Woodstock, NY, teacher, writer, artist, and performer — died peacefully of natural causes on August 15. The beloved wife for 60 years of the late Harold J. Lieberman was 92 and passed at home surrounded by her children and cat Luna.
Born in Minneapolis, MN to Max and Hildegarde Gershon, Toby and her parents moved throughout the Midwest before settling in Davenport, IA when she was nine. The constant moving was hard on Toby, often making it difficult to make new friends and lasting connections. Music, however, was always something that resonated with Toby and through her church, she quickly became proficient in both piano and voice. This foundation started her on a path, both as a performer and teacher.
After high school, she attended Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, IA before graduating from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN in 1954 with a major in English and minor in Music. Upon graduation, she married her college sweetheart, an actor, and the two headed to New York City to pursue careers in the performing arts.
Shortly after her marriage dissolved, Toby found herself alone in NYC without a support system and pondering her next move. One Friday night, Toby’s love for music brought her to a concert at the Juilliard School of Music, where, by chance, she was seated next to a Julliard trumpet student, who happened to pick up the extra ticket that Toby had just left at the box office. After a brief chat during intermission, Harold and Toby went out for tea and six months later, in 1959, they were married and remained life partners for over sixty years.
As Harold’s career started progressing, as a first-call studio trumpeter in NYC, Harold and Toby thought about raising a family and eventually decided to leave the hustle and bustle of NYC for Bergen County, NJ; First Englewood and then Ridgewood. At first, Toby was not sure about suburban life, but she quickly found her place and ended up thriving there, raising her children, teaching nursery school, and starting a music school for young children known as The Music Learning Place. Toby was always known as a patient and thoughtful teacher.
Toby and Harold moved to Woodstock in 2000 and, in retirement, also lived in Sanibel Island, FL. Toby loved to read a good biography or crime drama, but also discovered her love and aptitude for painting and making art, discussing current events, doting on her grandchildren, attending live music, and editing Harold’s music reviews for the Sanibel paper. Twelve years ago, she chronicled her husband’s storied life as a musician in a book: The Love Call of Harold J. Lieberman.
Throughout it all, Toby was a loving and empathic woman, an amazing mother, wife, grandmother and an advocate for her kids and the underdog. Toby also loved to laugh and appreciated humor.
Toby is survived by her two children — Rhonda Lieberman of Riverdale, NY, and Aaron Lieberman of Woodstock — as well as two grandchildren: Milo and Delilah Lieberman of Woodstock.
The family will schedule a gathering soon to remember Toby and Harold. In lieu of flowers, the family asks loved ones and friends to donate to a charity of their choice or Toby’s favorite: Act Blue, which supports candidates in this year’s election who support democracy.
To leave online condolences, please visit: https://www.jvleahyfh.com/obits
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