Dr. Phyllis Ehrlich

Dr. Phyllis Ehrlich, distinguished social worker, community organizer, professor,beloved wife of Dr. Ira Ehrlich, mother of Dr. Linda Ehrlich and Martin Ehrlich/Erica Hunt. Grandmother of Desislava Ehrlich, Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich/Jon Sersie Goff, and Julian Hunt-Ehrlich. Great-grandmother of Ivy Goff. Preceded in death by her husband Dr. Ira Ehrlich who shared her passion for social work, civil rights, and Jewish values.
Phyllis Ehrlich received her education at the University of Chicago, Western Reserve University (1951, now Case Western Reserve University) and Southern Illinois University (1982).
Her research and activism dealt with such issues as Single Room Occupancy (SRO), elder abuse, and midlife women caregivers. Along with her husband Ira, her work in gerontology bridged theory and practice, focusing on the marginal elderly. The Drs. Ehrlich developed the Mutual Help Model which combined research methodology with a new community service model, as well as a model to integrate legal and social work delivery.
In addition, she worked in the areas of mental health, Jewish community service, and group work with handicapped children.
After retiring and moving to Miami, Dr. Ehrlich became a volunteer ombudsman to investigate nursing homes, and a Guardian Ad Litem for children. She also worked at the Democratic Party office in Pinecrest during the elections.
Among her honors are awards from the American Society of Aging and the Gerontological Society of America. She was selected for Who's Who in American Woman and Who's Who in Education. She has also appeared in Profiles in Gerontology, a biographical dictionary. Among her mentors are Eva Kahana, M. Powell Lawton, and Rodney Coe.
Phyllis Ehrlich was an avid concert-goer for both classical music, experimental music, and Jazz. She was also skillful at interior design and knitting.
In 2003 she volunteered in Belize for the American Jewish World Service.
Dr. Ehrlich taught at St. Louis University, University of South Florida, and Southern Illinois University. From 1986-1993, she served as Associate Director for Community Services at the Benjamin Rose Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, and was a member of the Alzheimer's Association of that city.
Her friends and family will remember her for her intellectual engagement and deep sense of caring.