Arlington, VA – Tilli (Matilda) Friedrich passed away on December 7th, 2025, after a brief illness. Tilli was born on May 8th, 1938 in Locarno, Switzerland.
Tilli was a graduate of Radcliffe College, where she studied German Literature. She married Carl de Boor in 1960 and had four children together: Thomas, Lisa/Liesel, Peter, and Adam. They lived in great Midwestern university towns including Madison, Wisconsin, where Tilli went back to school to get a Master of Social Work degree. Disappointed by the impact of funding on the scope of social work, Tilli went back to school and obtained a Masters in Public Administration, and worked in Wisconsin state government until she retired early in 2000, due to the objectionable impact of Republican Governor Tommy Thompson’s approach to government.
She moved back to Massachusetts in 2005, to live closer to three of her children, and then to Arlington, Virginia, in 2021, where she cherished the care of her son Peter and his wife Geneva.
An avid reader who easily devoured multiple books a week, she participated in many book groups where she enjoyed strong debates about writing. Tilli sang Alto at Radcliffe and continued to sing in choirs into her 80’s. In her later years, she also sought stronger spiritual ties to her community and converted to Judaism in 2011.
A memorial service will be held in the Spring of 2026 in Concord, MA. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to organizations that care for animals and/or support democracy.
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