Ruth Palefsky's Obituary
Ruth (Lerman) Palefsky of Boca Raton, FL passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by
family on March 5, 2023 at the age of 96 ½. “I want that half in there!” she jokingly said of her
age while fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming a Bat Mitzvah--which she did together with her
Granddaughter, Justine Palefsky–only five weeks prior to her passing. She was born in
Scranton, PA, but spent most of her working adult life in Brooklyn, NY with her husband of over
40 years, Julius Palefsky, who predeceased her in 1993. They moved to Boca Raton, FL fulltime in 1991. She spent much of her working life as a Comptroller of numerous companies in
the garment industry in New York City. After moving to Boca Raton, she worked at Florida
Atlantic University in their Lifelong Learning Department. She spent over 30 years working at
various summer camps, including her beloved Camp Chipinaw, where she created and fostered
relationships with hundreds of families that she maintained for the rest of her life. She was a
volunteer in the Elder Hostel Program and loved to travel internationally, read, cook, and spend
time with her close-knit family. She is survived by her two sons Cliff Palefsky and his wife Dr.
Michelle “Mimi” Pepitone of San Francisco, CA and Gary and Susan (Kelleher) Palefsky of
Ashland, MA. She loved and adored her four Grandchildren, Jenna Palefsky Dugoni (husband
William Dugoni III) and Justine Palefsky of San Francisco, and Jesse Palefsky and Griffin
Palefsky of Ashland, MA, and she cherished her Great Grandchildren William “Willsy” Dugoni IV
(age 3) and Ashley Dugoni (age 2) and kvelled on every FaceTime or Zoom call with them. She
was the sister of the late Evelyn “Evie” Lerman, Martin “Moey” Lerman, and Rose (Lerman)
Engelmyer and her husband Earl all of Scranton, PA. A dear friend described her as “...a force
of nature, a lifelong learner, a killer smart lady, a medical marvel, a teacher and genuine friend
and loving person to the last.” She left an indelible impression on everyone she met, and served
as an inspiration and role model to so many who witnessed her strength, competence, and
acuity. She will be sorely missed by everyone lucky enough to know her.
Donations in Nana Ruth’s memory can be made to Project Avary. www.projectavary.org. Nana
Ruth’s love of summer camp and what it meant to her family is being carried forward at Project
Avary where her son Cliff is Chairman Emeritus and his wife Mimi is Secretary Emeritus and
continues as the camp doctor. Both Cliff and Mimi are founding Board Members.
Donations may also be made to a charity of your choice
What’s your fondest memory of Ruth?
What’s a lesson you learned from Ruth?
Share a story where Ruth's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Ruth you’ll never forget.
How did Ruth make you smile?
