Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers, one of the oldest family-owned businesses in Westwood, closed Saturday.

Sarah “Sunny” Friedman and Leonard “Lenny” Friedman opened the store, located at 1055 Westwood Blvd., in 1946 under the name Crescent Jewelers. Six members of the Friedman family attended UCLA across two generations, and the business remained in the family until its closing.

The Friedman and Abell families, Sarah Leonard’s owners, sponsored many UCLA activities, including athletic events such as the athlete of the month award and a UCLA watch giveaway, as well as Homecoming week events and the university’s blood drive.

Low sales did not lead to the store’s closure, said Linda Abell, the daughter of the original owners. She added that business was the best it had ever been, but her brother David Friedman and his wife Gail Friedman, who were running the store, were ready to retire and spend more time with their nine grandchildren.

“It’s been very hectic because we’ve been so so busy for all these years – 80 years,” Abell said. “My parents started the store in 1946. That’s the ‘Sarah’ and the ‘Leonard,’ so it’s been part of our family for our whole lives.”

Abell said she has mixed emotions about the closure but is excited to see what the future holds. It is bittersweet, she added, because so many of their clients had been with them for generations.

The store was on its fourth generation of engagement ring purchases, Abell said. Many children’s parents, grandparents and great-grandparents all bought their rings from Sarah Leonard, she added.

“I was really sad to hear that they’re closing,” said Clinton Schudy, the owner of Oakley’s Barber Shop, which is near the jewelry shop. “They’ve been here such a long time, very established and very liked in the community for sure, a very integral part of Westwood.”

“Its (Sarah Leonard’s) success and longevity are a testament to the family’s dedication, personal service and commitment to its customers,” said Michael Russell, the executive director of the Westwood Village Improvement Association, in an emailed statement.

“Although we are sad to see such a longstanding business leave, this is ultimately a story worth celebrating,” Russell said in the statement. “Few businesses have the privilege of serving their community successfully for more than seven decades and concluding their journey on their own terms.”

Sarah Leonard’s closure came more than a week after Urban Outfitters shuttered across the street after more than 22 years of operation.

[Related: Westwood’s Urban Outfitters closes after 22 years following UC Investments acquisition]

“It’s very sad to see that Westwood is not the thriving metropolis that it used to be, but hopefully it will make a big comeback,” Abell said. “My parents started there when it was a sleepy little village – really just a nothing – and then to the thriving place that it was in the ‘80s, ‘90s, and now there’s lots of vacancies.”

Sarah Leonard’s closure could lead to future developments, Russell said in the statement.

“This transition also creates an opportunity for a new business to build upon the legacy of this special location,” he said.

Several new businesses are opening in Westwood, including the Directors Village theater, the Bruin Theater and Raising Cane’s.

[Related: Raising Cane’s opens Westwood location after three-year wait]

Residents’ reactions to the jewelry shop’s closure have been inspiring, Abell said. She added that it has been hard for many customers to accept the closure, since the business has been part of their families for so long.

“The response from our clientele has been unbelievable,” Abell said. “We’ve had people flying in from other states that have moved away just to come have their last hurrah with us and say their last hugs and goodbyes and people driving from distances as far as Santa Cruz and San Diego, just because they can’t believe we’re closing, saying, ‘What are we going to do now without you?’”