Patricia Ann (Ricky) Pearl

Patricia Ann “Ricky” Pearl, 71, passed away on February 26, 2020 in Sarasota, Fl. She was the daughter of Paul and Kay Pearl of Scranton. Ricky was a graduate of Scranton Central High School, SUNY Albany, and Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.

As a teenager, Ricky ardently studied piano with the nationally prominent Anne Vanko Liva during which time she frequently participated in competitions and ultimately was the recipient of the Paderewsky Award.

In her academic pursuits she repeatedly scored in the top sixth percentile of standardized test scores across the United States.

Foregoing a full scholarship to Juilliard School of Music, Ricky chose science as her dream career, concentrating in molecular biology.

For several years she lived and worked abroad holding a position as research assistant at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, simultaneously becoming fluent in Hebrew and Arabic.

Upon retiring to Sarasota, Ricky entertained friends and family by playing Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Bach compositions and even a little Gershwin thrown in to please the crowd.

Whether through music or science, Ricky’s lifelong commitment was to bring her own unique sense of beauty and knowledge into this world.

She is survived by two sisters, Cindy Pearl of Scranton, and Barbara Pearl Cressey (David) of Holbrook, Pennsylvania and several cousins.

Graveside services will be at the Dalton Jewish Cemetery, Wednesday, March 4th at 2 p.m. by Cantor Vladimir Aronzon.

Memorial contributions may be made to Jewish Family Services of NEPA, 615 Jefferson Avenue, Scranton, PA 18510.

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