Tobi Shirley Sherman Obituary

July 23, 2021

Obituary

Tobi Shirley Sherman, 80, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend to many, a long-time resident of Manheim Township, died peacefully surrounded by her loving family in Boca Raton, FL on July 23, 2021. She fought valiantly for more than two years before succumbing to complications following a battle against cancer.

Born in the Bronx, NY to the late Abraham and Sylvia (Feldman) Folbaum, Tobi grew up in the Oxford Circle neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia, graduating from Northeast High School in 1959. Tobi was a lifelong lover of many genres of music and was a gifted singer during her younger years. While attending a Tamiment Lodge reunion dance in Philadelphia with a group of friends, she accepted a dance request from a nice-looking young guy named Bob who said he had traveled from Lancaster with a friend to attend the event. A whirlwind romance ensued, and Tobi and Bob wed on November 19, 1960, whereupon they established a loving home in Lancaster where Bob’s family and business roots ran deep and where his parents, the late Samuel and Kitty Sherman lovingly embraced their new daughter-in-law. Tobi and Bob were members of Temple Beth El and Congregation Shaarai Shomayim in Lancaster.

Tobi was an incredible life partner, domestic engineer, and athlete. She enjoyed all of the cardio classes offered at the many gyms to which she belonged. She played golf and tennis, including many years as Bob’s late-night doubles partner at Old Hickory Racquet Club, and was a long-standing participant in ladies’ bowling leagues in Lancaster. Tobi was a devoted and competitive mahjong and canasta player forging lifelong friendships with her many game-table mates. She was a devoted and loving mother and homemaker with a passion for experimenting with creative recipes and practicing healthy eating. Her 1970s religious school carpool runs were legendary in pushing the boundaries of physics (and the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) by seeing how many kids could squeeze into her Pontiac Firebird. Tobi cherished family rituals such as visits to her parent’s home on Souder Street in Philly trips down the shore to Atlantic City and to New York City for shopping and eating, summers spent at the Host Town pool, and Sunday Zangari’s pizza nights with the Moss family. She and Bob shared a passion for collecting modern art filling their homes with impeccable acquisitions from galleries and artists. 

Music was a constant in her life – the radio was always turned on in the house and in her car, and she and Bob (sometimes with the kids in tow) frequented live performances of their favorites – Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, Simon and Garfunkel, Tom Jones and so many others. Bob and Tobi also loved overseas travel, crisscrossing the globe several times, aided by rental cars, road maps, and travel guidebooks. Each January Tobi and Bob attended the National Association of Homebuilders International Builders’ Show concluded with a week of rest and relaxation in Miami Beach. Eventually, they purchased a beachfront condominium an hour north in Highland Beach. They later moved into a single-family home in nearby Boca Raton where they established a winter residence at St. Andrews Country Club, making many new and dear friends and welcoming frequent visits by their children and grandchildren.

Having devoted her entire life to her family, Tobi will be lovingly remembered and missed by Bob, her beloved husband of over 60 years, son Stephen and his wife Susan of Bethesda, MD, son Michael and his wife Jill of Lancaster, daughter Judi and her husband Marc Levine of Woodbury, NY, her 8 grandchildren, Ryan and Rebecca Sherman, Samantha, Brett and Alex Sherman, Chloe, Dylan and Jack Levine, her brother and sister-in-law Bruce and Ilene Folbaum, nephews and niece and many dear friends. Tobi’s family is grateful to Diana Yuja, her devoted and loving caregiver for the last 2+ years. An animal lover, Tobi was predeceased by her beloved furry family members, Max, Daisy, Winnie, and Yoyo Sherman.

May the memory of Tobi Shirley Sherman be a blessing.

Funeral

The funeral and interment took place in Boca Raton, FL.

Memorial Contributions

Memorial contributions in Tobi’s honor may be made to U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

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