Belle Parmet, social worker, family therapist
A life celebration will be held this month for Belle Parmet, 97, of Center City, a longtime social worker, who died in her sleep Saturday, April 30, at VNA Hospice of Philadelphia.
A life celebration will be held this month for Belle Parmet, 97, of Center City, a longtime social worker, who died in her sleep Saturday, April 30, at VNA Hospice of Philadelphia.
She had lived in her apartment at the Philadelphian until several days before her death, visiting with friends and family, participating in book clubs in the building, and attending a family seder.
She continued to read two daily newspapers - finishing the crossword puzzles over breakfast - watched current events on TV, and looked for ways to stay involved in local politics. And, she spent time online following the activities of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
"She was delighted that she lived long enough to know her great-grandchildren," said daughter Carolynn Maltas.
Born and reared in Philadelphia, Mrs. Parmet graduated in 1938 from the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1940 from what is now the Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. Most of her higher education was paid for with scholarships, her family said.
Recently, she was nominated by her academic colleagues at the graduate school for inclusion in a list of 100 distinguished alumni. The citation honored her for being an early pioneer in family therapy practice.
The child of Eastern European immigrants involved in trade unions and women's rights, she was a natural to become a social caseworker, her family said.
Mrs. Parmet's first job was with the Textile Workers Union of America. Later, she started and directed the Psychiatric Social Work Department at the Carrier Clinic in Belle Mead, N.J. Carrier is a private, nonprofit behavioral health-care system specializing in psychiatric and addiction treatment, according to its website.
She worked as a family therapist with her husband, Morris, a child psychiatrist.
"Friends and family had warned them that practicing together could strain their marriage, but their partnership only flourished," said Maltas.
She also was a mentor and volunteer at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, the Curtis Institute, and the International Professional Exchange, a program that brought professionals to the United States from other countries to learn about social service delivery.
For a while, the couple lived in Hunterdon County, N.J., and in Princeton. But after her husband died in 1980, Mrs. Parmet moved back to Philadelphia.
She encouraged those around her to take an interest in politics and to register to vote. She was always involved in some kind of community project, such as collecting donations for food pantries or improving a dog park near her apartment building.
"Promises, promises. We have been fighting City Hall to get some decent benches for the little Dog Park at 25th and Fairmount. Still waiting," she wrote on her Facebook page in June 2012.
"They did get the benches, and it looks great," Maltas said.
Mrs. Parmet enjoyed traveling, and when no longer able to leave her apartment, she stayed connected to the larger world through the news, literature, the arts, her computer, and a lively interest in the lives of others.
Besides her daughter, she is survived by son Phil; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
A life celebration is planned for Saturday, May 28, from 2 to 4 p.m., at the Philadelphian, 2401 Pennsylvania Ave., Room B. Mrs. Parmet donated her body to medical science.
Donations may be made to the Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, 300 Airdale Rd., Bryn Mawr, Pa. 19010.
610-313-8102