Charise Joy Pfeffer, 43, died peacefully May 5 at the Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ferncliff Nursing Home, in Rhinebeck New York, from complications of Huntington’s Disease.
Leadership, service, adventurism and poetry describe her. A graduate of the Hebrew Academy of the Capital District, Bethlehem High School and the University of Maryland, 2002.
She graduated College with a B average and 140 credits.
In college, she volunteered at the Washington D.C. rape crisis center escorting victims to the hospital. She led Jewish groups, during high school and college. In College she engaged in underground caving as an outdoor activity.
She spent a cold weekend in Washington participating in an Urban Plunge program where she was homeless and learned the homeless experience.
One summer she had an internship at Albany Law School, Government Law Center. After college, she joined the United States Peace Corp., and for two years taught English to children in a remote region of Turkmenistan.
On to Thailand, where she taught English to children, and earned a degree as a Teacher of English as a Foreign Language.
She volunteered in Israel for six months teaching English to children at a residential foster care center.
On to the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Then to Buenos Aires Argentina where she lived and worked for 18 months.
She traveled to many other places, often by herself. Charise was fluent in five languages. Her favorite band was Rusted Root and she attended many concerts. She did some acting in College.
Her favorite poet was Pablo Neruda, whose work she read in Spanish. She authored many poems. The most poignant describing her experiences after diagnosis.
She was honored to be the keynote poet at the Russell Sage Poetry Slam in 2014, where she read three original poems and received a standing ovation from over 200 people.
Survived by her loving father, Alan Pfeffer, dedicate stepmother Lenora Galitz, Aunt and Uncle Diane and Ira Rubtchinsky and their three children, Jodi, Stacy and Jeff and several other cousins.
Her life-long BFF Yaffa Rasowsky. She was pre-deceased by her Mother Susan Halpern Pfeffer.
Donations in Charise’s memory can be made to the Ferncliff Nursing Home, for the neurodegenerative program, Congregation Ohav Shalom, Albany, Help4HD International, or plant a tree in Israel through the Jewish National Fund.
