Ethel Abramoff

The Graveside Funeral Service for Ethel Abramoff may be viewed via the following link: https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/893840467

WORCESTER - We’re sad to say that Ethel Abramoff died just a few days shy of her 99th birthday on Saturday July 2, though if asked she would say she’d couldn’t be that old. Known as Mom, Mima, Ethel and Etty, she was the daughter of Morris and Fannie Katz and spent virtually her entire life in Worcester.

She lived through the depression, World War II, and as the 2nd youngest of 10 was the last of her generation in her family. At the age of 6 she rescued her family, including 7 brothers and two sisters when she woke them up in the middle of the night because their house was on fire. Born with the Yiddish name Etty her name was change to Ethel when her sisters brought her to first grade. She always said she would have preferred Evelyn. She was married to Murray Abramoff for 72 years and was predeceased by Murray, her 7 brothers, Phil, Bennie, Mike, Louis, Izzy, Mutty, and Harry and her two sisters, Sarah Joseph/Pulda and Gert Chaifetz. She is survived by her 4 children: Barbara Levy of Hillsboro, NC, Larry Abramoff and wife Gloria of Worcester and Fort Myers Beach, FL, David Abramoff and wife Julie of LaPorte, CO and Debra Brooks and husband Howard of Marblehead. She also leaves 7 grandchildren: Joseph Abramoff and wife Lindsey of Worcester, Michael Abramoff and wife EJ of Westchester, NY, Becca Levy and husband Mico of Jacksonville, FL, Sarah Persing and husband Oren of Carrboro, NC, David Brooks and husband Thiago of Brooklyn, NY, Stephanie Brooks of Revere, MA, and Leah Brooks of Brooklyn, NY, and 6 great-grandchildren: Liyam and Micah Persing, Isaac, Rowan, Remy and Simone Abramoff.

Ethel was a good mom, a gifted artist and craftsperson, and specialized in needlework, knitting, quilting and sewing. She was a wizard at crossword puzzles and mahjong, a voracious reader who instilled a love of reading in her children, and a member of the May Street School mother’s bowling league. After many years as a stay-at-home mom making great chocolate chip cookies and gazillions of meals, she and her sister Sarah opened the Wool Basket on Park Avenue. Later she went to work at the David Hale Fanning Trade School as a secretary and friend to all. She was also a proud Urban Studies graduate, at 72, of Worcester State University. Her final years were spent at Eisenberg Assisted Living and Jewish Healthcare Center. At both places, she received wonderful loving care for which the family is most grateful. She was a devoted member of Shaarai Torah West and was active for many years in their Sisterhood.

A graveside service will take place Tuesday, July 5 at 2pm at the Worcester Hebrew Cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, MA, with a reception following through Tuesday evening at the home of Larry and Gloria Abramoff, 34 Chiltern Hill Drive, Worcester. Donations can be made to the Joy of Music Program in Worcester or Jewish Healthcare Center, Worcester. We ask that everyone coming to the service, or the house be vaccinated. Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of Richard Perlman of Miles Funeral Home of Holden, MA.