Martin Shulman's Obituary
Martin Shulman, who was known by his family and close friends as Mendy, was
born in Philadelphia in 1923, joining his siblings, Ben, Harold, and Lilian, as the
youngest child of Max and Eva Shulman. The family moved to Brooklyn in 1926
and once he was five years old, he began shining shoes and, later, running errands
for gangsters in his neighborhood to help support his family during the Great
Depression.
He joined the Navy in 1943 and fought alongside the Marines on the islands
around Japan. Suffering from PTSD, he recovered in a hospital when discharged
from the Navy in 1945. He met and married Belle Goodgold in 1948, moved to
Forest Hills, and opened his beauty salon, The Maisonette. He and Belle had two
daughters, Jill and Gail. Martin and his wife, Belle, worked side by side, she at the
front desk, while he ran the salon and did hair, until they divorced in 1955.
Although he was no longer in the family home, he remained a dedicated father
throughout his children’s lives, calling them every night while they grew up and
seeing them every weekend, and his dedication to his children continued
throughout their adult lives.
In the mid 1960’s, Martin sold his salon and opened a beauty school in the Bronx,
later moving it to Astoria, Queens. During this time he married Rae and moved to
Long Island. They divorced in 1979.
Also in the 1960’s, Martin began his long love affair with tennis, regularly
watching every match he could and playing every day. He met Barbara Frenchman,
his third wife, and they moved to FL after he retired, where he got to play his
beloved tennis every day until he was over 98. He always said that he was living in
Shangrila and what a beautiful life he and Barb had. Unfortunately, Barb died from
Covid in 2020, whereupon he sold their home and moved to independent living,
followed by assisted living at 5 Stars of Boca Raton.
Martin was flown to Newton, PA, just four days before he passed on January 10th,
to have family around him during his final days. His loving daughters and
granddaughters, Rebecca and Julia, survive him and cherish every memory they
have had with him
A cryptside service will be held at Eternal Light Memorial Gardens Cemetery at 2:15pm, on Friday, January 17, 2025.11520 State Road 7 Boynton Beach, FL 33437.
Those wishing to honor Martin with a memorial contribution are kindly encouraged to consider a donation to DAV (Disabled American Veterans) at:
https://www.dav.org/
What’s your fondest memory of Martin?
What’s a lesson you learned from Martin?
Share a story where Martin's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Martin you’ll never forget.
How did Martin make you smile?
