BOSTON—Northeastern University mourns the loss of alumnus and benefactor Arnold "Arnie" Friedman, who died unexpectedly on June 22, 2014, at his home in Woodstock, Vermont. He was 71.
 
A 1965 graduate of Northeastern and an avid Huskies fan, Friedman loved sports, but he was particularly fond of baseball. He grew up playing stickball with neighborhood friends in Dorchester—inspired by his father, who founded the Dorchester Little League—and later served as a minor league umpire. For decades, he followed closely the successes of NU baseball and of his former NU classmate, head coach Neil McPhee. Friedman and his wife, Leslie, hosted the team each year for a meal at their Bonita Springs home during the Huskies' annual trip to Florida.  
 
A self-made man, Friedman opened his own business, Aim Chemical, in the 1970s and enjoyed a long and successful career in sales. He credited Northeastern's renowned co-op program with jumpstarting his career and, in the late 1980s, expressed his gratitude by helping to fund a renovation of the university's baseball facility, which now bears his name—Friedman Diamond.
 
"Arnie was a wonderful personal and family friend, dating back to our days at NU in the '60s," said McPhee, who retired this season after nearly three decades at the helm of the NU baseball program. "He became a generous benefactor to our program and, as important as his generosity was, he was truly a fan. He attended numerous games each season, getting to know the players by first name, who in return loved having him around. Arnie had a terrific sense of humor and kept the players loose and laughing in the dugout. He and his lovely wife, Leslie, hosted the team yearly for a meal in their Boca Raton and Bonita Springs homes in Florida. Just a great guy, he will be missed by Husky baseball."
 
A celebration of Friedman's life will be held on Friday, June 27, at 1 p.m., at Temple Shir Shalom (493 W. Woodstock Rd. (Route 4), Woodstock, Vermont). A graveside service, at Riverside Cemetery, and reception at the Woodstock Inn (14 The Green, Woodstock, Vermont) will follow.
 
The family will receive friends at the home of Kim and Mark Kalen, 11 Glen Rd., in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, on Sunday, June 29, from 2 to 8 p.m.
 
The Friedman family has requested, in lieu of floral arrangements, memorial contributions may be made to the Friedman Baseball Fund, Northeastern University Baseball, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02115.


Boston Globe Obituary:

Friedman, Arnold I. (Arnie) Of Woodstock, Vt., and Bonita Springs, Fla., died unexpectedly on June 22, 2014, at his home in Woodstock. He was 71. Arnie was born on November 13, 1942, the second son of Hyman and Natalie (Goldberg) Friedman. He grew up on Norfolk St. in Dorchester with his older brother, George, with whom he shared a birthday. Early on, Arnie developed a passion for baseball, inspired by his father, who founded the Dorchester Little League. He attended Boston English High School (1960) and Northeastern University (1965). He was proud of his affiliation with the school, crediting the five-year cooperative education program with jumpstarting his career. He spent a few years as a minor league umpire in the Northern League, based in North Dakota, before launching a long and successful career in sales. Early on, Arnie wrote obituaries for the Boston Globe and kept an umpiring journal for the Globe sports section. He later worked as a salesman for Dow Chemical and National Chem Search, before opening his own business, Aim Chemical, in the early 1970s. In 1966, Arnie met Leslie Sheff through a computer-dating service operated by Boston-area college students. The two were married on September 17, 1967. They bought their first home in Randolph, before moving to Sudbury. The Friedmans raised two daughters, Kim and Jana. The family moved to Weston in 1982 and later lived in Swampscott. Based in Wellesley, Aim Chemical truly began to thrive in the 1980s, a source of tremendous pride to Arnie, a self-made man in the purest sense. He developed relationships with his many customers, taking a genuine interest in their lives outside of their mutual business transactions. Arnie ventured into real estate in the 1980s, accumulating properties primarily on the Boston waterfront and on Cape Cod, where he spent summers with his family in Mashpee. When the market crashed in the S&L crisis, he didn't panic, instead returning to the foundations of his success – Aim Chemical. He possessed both the confidence and the personality to rebuild his financial life. In 1988, Arnie repaid Northeastern by funding a renovation of the University's baseball field, Friedman Diamond. He was an enthusiastic follower of the Huskies baseball team. Arnie also donated scholarships to Dana Hall School in Wellesley. He made connections wherever he went, often rewarding new friends with tickets to a ball game or treating them to a nice meal. In 1999, Arnie and Leslie moved permanently to their home in Woodstock, Vt. They soon began spending winters in Florida, first in Boca Raton and, more recently, in Bonita Springs, where they ran the business together and developed a new community of friends. Arnie loved cars and a good steak, a fresh Maine lobster and a full plate of cherrystone clams. He was a sports nut, with a particular soft spot for baseball and the Red Sox. He was fascinated by others' backgrounds and he always managed to find common ground. Arnie is survived by his wife of 46 years, Leslie, of Woodstock, Vt., and Bonita Springs, Fla.; his daughter, Kim, and her husband, Mark, of Hopkinton, Mass.; his daughter, Jana, and her husband, Jay, of Concord, N.H.; his brother, George, and his wife, Carole, of Braintree, Mass.; his grandchildren, Nicholas, Ryan, and Celia Kalen and Knox and Finn Brown; his mother-in-law, Lorraine Sheff, of Fort Myers, Fla.; many nieces and nephews; his Boston Terrier, Dudley; and many dear friends. We will celebrate Arnie's life on Friday, June 27, at 1 p.m. at Temple Shir Shalom, 493 W. Woodstock Rd. (Route 4), Woodstock, Vt. A graveside service, at Riverside Cemetery, and reception at the Woodstock Inn, 14 The Green, Woodstock, Vt., to follow. The family will receive friends at the home of Kim and Mark Kalen, 11 Glen Rd. in Hopkinton, Mass., on Sunday, June 29, from 2 to 8 p.m. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bostonglobe/obituary.aspx?n=arnold-i-friedman-arnie&pid=171478032