Amherst, Arnold Friedmann passed away peacefully at the age of 91 in his home on Thursday, February 16. After being diagnosed with pneumonia, he elected Fisher Home’s home hospice. He was surrounded by family in his remaining days. 

Friedmann was born in 1925 in Nuremberg, Germany. His parents Max and Else, and his sister Lotte, lived in Germany until 1939. After Kristallnacht (Night of the Broken Crystal) the family fled Germany for British Palestine. To earn money and develop a trade, Arnold apprenticed as a cabinet maker at age 14. At 18, he enlisted in the British Army and served as an ammunition specialist throughout the Middle East during WW II, attaining the rank of Sergeant. 

Throughout his time in Palestine and in the British Army, Arnold continued his high school studies and passed the London Matriculation in 1947. He then immigrated to the United States to study interior design at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He put his studies on hold in 1949 to return to Palestine to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces as a Sergeant Major in the Israeli War of Liberation.  

During his one year of service in the Israeli Army, Arnold married his long-time love, Susi Kirsch. After the war, she joined him in the United States in 1950, where she worked in the garment district to support his pursuit of a Bachelors of Fine Arts, which he earned in 1953 from Pratt. 

In the 1950s, Arnold worked as a furniture designer, cabinet maker, and interior designer while teaching at Pratt and continuing his studies there. In 1960, he earned a Masters of Fine Arts from Pratt. After that, he focused his energy on teaching. In the 1960s, he became a Full Professor and Chair of the Design Department. 

In 1972, Arnold moved his family to Amherst, MA to create an interior design program in the Fine Arts Department at the University of Massachusetts. During his 20 years of work and service at UMass, he grew the design department, mentored many students, and served on many committees. He became Chairman of the Department of Interior and Environmental Design and was the Associate Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts until he retired in 1990. 

Throughout his 40-year career, he was very actively involved in several interior design professional associations and a prolific author. As an active member and leader of IDEC, NCIDQ, and other organizations, he played a key role in turning interior design into an accredited academic pursuit and in establishing national qualifying examinations for interior designers.

He authored or co-authored four books, 60+ professional journal articles, and an Encyclopedia Britannica entry. He was also proud to receive numerous professional awards; including from the IKEA Foundation and IDEC. His favorite award was the Distinguished Teaching Award from UMass in 1980. 

After his retirement, he continued to teach part time for five years as Professor Emeritus. In retirement, he remained an active volunteer at the University Fine Arts Center and in numerous local organizations, including the Survival Center, Learning in Retirement, and foster care.  After his move to the Applewood retirement community, he continued in true form and became very involved in numerous committees and activities, including organizing an ongoing lecture series covering a wide range of topics. 

Most important to Arnold were the relationships he forged during his career. Many students saw him as both a mentor and a close friend, and he continued many relationships beyond graduation. 

Arnold’s leisure time was just as busy as his professional life: he traveled frequently with his beloved wife, Susi, played tennis 2-3 times per week until the age of 90, and entertained friends often at their home. From 1960 onwards, he collected a wonderful set of balancing toys many of which continue to grace their home.

Arnold Friedmann is survived by his wife Susi, of Applewood in Amherst, his sons, Dan of Chappaqua, NY and Ron of Arlington, VA, his much-loved grandchildren Tim and Jillian of Chappaqua, NY and Ron’s husband Stuart. He was pre-deceased by his daughter-in-law, Laurie Fessler. 

A memorial service will be organized this summer. Donations in his memory can be made to Learning in Retirement; the Institute for Holocaust, Genocide, and Memory Studies at UMass; or the Massachusetts General Hospital.