Madeline Price Kramer
July 12, 2025

We mourn the passing of Madeline (Price) Kramer who passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 12, 2025 at the age of 89. Madeline, a lifelong Squirrel Hill (Pittsburgh) resident, was married for 50 years to the late Frederick Kramer (d. 2007). She is survived by her daughter Valerie Kramer (Tom Brooks) of Pittsburgh and sons Marty Kramer (Beth) of Boston and Richard Kramer (Birgit Maass) of London, her seven beloved grandchildren, Aaron Weidman (Jen Judge), Seth Weidman, Allyson Kramer, Natalie Kramer, Linus Kramer, Jonah Kramer and Lissi Kramer, two great-grandchildren, Sydney and Riley Weidman and extended family in Pittsburgh Heather (Brooks) and John Cawley and Elizabeth Cawley, her dearest friend and most faithful visitor Barbara Abraham as well as many nieces and nephews.

Born in 1936, Madeline was preceded in death by her parents, Rhoda and Harry Price, and her two older sisters, Maxine (Rabinowitz) and Lila (Margolis). She was raised on Beechwood Blvd., attending Linden, Taylor Allderdice, and graduating with a BA in Education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1957. That same year she married her beloved husband Fred a year after meeting on a blind date. She taught in the Pittsburgh Public Schools until 1960 when she had her first child and became a full-time homemaker.

Inspired to help with Marty's hearing loss, she trained as an audiologist at the University of Pittsburgh. She channeled her competitive instincts into tennis, playing regularly at Parkway Cabana Club and year-round in singles and doubles games. In 1970, she moved across Squirrel Hill from Anita Avenue to Fair Oaks Street, where she lived for over 30 years. She was an accomplished cook, always trying new recipes, and known for baking cakes for friends. She loved clothes and was often taken along on shopping expeditions as an "advisor". After her youngest reached high school, Madeline had too much energy to be a substitute teacher and started working for Milliken doing fabric demonstrations at Kaufmann's. Through that job, she met Steve Hecht and they had a meeting of the minds. With Madeline's "passion for fashion" and Steve's business acumen, they opened Just Petites at Forbes and Shady operating it successfully for over a decade. Madeline relished her years at Just Petites using her discerning eye and fashion sense to pick the perfect outfit for her customers. She loved her buying trips to New York to select merchandise for the store. Alongside her business endeavors, she and Fred traveled to Europe and Asia, as well as around the US and Canada. After Just Petites closed, she turned her attention to bridge, becoming a Life Master. She also enjoyed spending time with her two local grandchildren, Aaron and Seth, who regularly took the bus to their grandparent's house after school. Madeline was very proud of her grandkids and not shy about saying so; as the boys grew older, they would sometimes share good personal news with school friends only to be told "I know, my parents/grandparents already heard that from Madeline". Her granddaughters, Allyson and Natalie enjoyed her cooking, in particular her potato latkes and homemade applesauce for Hanukkah. She was in London when her twin grandchildren were born and returned another half a dozen times in their first year to see them. She had a busy social life with many local friends of long-standing with whom she was never shy about giving her opinions. As her health deteriorated markedly over the past few years, her fierce demeanor softened and she became gentle and appreciative, always with a twinkle in her eye. Hers was a lifelong Pittsburgh story, deeply entwined with Squirrel Hill and the Jewish community and cherished by family and friends. We hope her memory will be a blessing to future generations. The family wishes to thank the devoted staff at Schenley Gardens and the staff of Bethany Hospice who cared for her in her final years.

Services at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc, 5509 Centre Avenue, Shadyside on Sunday, July 13, 2025 at 10:30 AM. Visitation half hour prior to services (10 - 10:30 AM). Interment Beth Shalom Cemetery. In place of flowers, donations can be made to Schenley Gardens https://vincentian.us/give-now/, Bethany Hospice https://www.bethanyhospice.com/donate or Temple Sinai https://www.templesinaipgh.org/donation or a charity of choice. www.schugar.com

Condolences

Deepest sympathy on the passing of Madeline. She was a true lady.

Dear Richard, Birgit and Family Please accept our sincere condolences. Madeline must have been very proud of this beautiful family. Francois and Charlotte