Obituary: Harriet Magalnick

Harriet Magalnick was born in Bronx, N.Y., on Oct. 14, 1935. Her mother, Marion Bossin, immigrated to New York from Vilna at age 4 and her father, Louis Bossin, was a lifelong New Yorker.

Harriet had two dreams for her life: one was to be a mother and have a family and the other was to be a nurse. Like many women of her time, she pursued parenthood first. She was a loving mother, birthday party maker, and Brownie leader to her daughters, Elisabeth Martin and Lauren Magalnick Berman. She also worked as a preschool teacher for children-at-risk.

After her divorce, Harriet pursued her second dream — to become a nurse. Without much fuss, she went back to night school at the local community college, and she graduated with a nursing degree.

Her nursing career was cut short by a life-threatening automobile accident, but she made the best of it by retiring to Florida where she enjoyed Bridge, shows, and great friends. She moved to Atlanta at the age of 86 when she knew she would need family support. She established a wonderful social life at Somerby Independent Living, and she easily transitioned to her new life and extended family.

She is survived by her daughters, Lauren and Elisabeth; her sons-in-law, Daniel Berman and Michael Duddy; and her grandchildren, Eitan (Nora) Berman, Gil Berman, Matan Berman (partner Alanna Orgill), and Lindsay (Nico Erickson-Deriso) Duddy. Her great-grandson, Shai, was the light of her life.

Harriet died on May 17, 2026, and she was celebrated in a private service on May 18, 2026. Donations in her memory can be made to Young Judaea Global; The Red Tent Fund; Jewish Fertility Foundation; and The Surrogacy Foundation. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.