Sallie S Tofel's Obituary
Sallie Tofel (née Sallie Barbara Siegelman) 8/23/1943 – 5/4/2022 passed from this world surrounded by her family after a heroic battle with breast cancer. Born in Warren, Ohio to Dorothy Grossman Siegelman and Bernard H Siegelman, Sallie spent her early years in Pennsylvania and Chicago, before moving to Denver, Colorado in 1956, where she graduated from East High School in 1960.
After attending UC-Boulder for two years, she set out for new adventures in Tucson where she graduated from the University of Arizona in 1964 with a business degree in marketing. In college, she joined Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority and met her husband Steve at a fraternity function. True soulmates, the two were happily married for 57 years before her passing.
Sallie and Steve spent the first decade of their marriage in California and Colorado, as dictated by Steve’s careers with Westinghouse Electric and Siliconix. In 1974, they returned to Tucson to raise their children near family.
Sallie obtained her real estate license in 1978 and happily sold houses all over Tucson for 40+ years with Tucson Realty and Realty Executives, welcoming scores of newcomers to her beloved Old Pueblo. She had an uncanny recall for every house, subdivision and builder she encountered. More than floor plans, Sallie fondly remembered and valued people; real estate clients and colleagues became lifelong friends.
Concerned for the welfare of others, Sallie was always actively involved in bettering her community. Ever the effervescent, can-do spirit when it came to a cause, she was a lifelong volunteer for her sorority, an active member of Kol Ami, an avid advocate of Sister Jose Women’s Shelter and one of the founding members of the advisory board to the preeminent UofA dance program. An artistic, creative soul, Sallie introduced many to the art of dance and the joy of the jewelry hunting at the Tucson Gem Show. Always stylishly chic, she punctuated her outfits uniquely with her own custom jewelry designs.
She is survived by her loving husband Steven, daughter Lynn Dent (David), son Bradley (Trinh), 5 beloved, beautiful grandchildren and many more loving family members. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Sister Jose’s or the Kol Ami Mizvah Corporation
Services will be held Monday 5/9/2022 at 9:00am at Kol Ami (225 N Country Club Rd, Tucson, AZ 85716), followed by a graveside service at Evergreen Cemetery (3015 N Oracle Rd Tucson, AZ 85705).
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