MOLLYE SUE LICHTER BLOCK's Obituary
Mollye Sue Block, passed away on December 29th in Palm Beach, Florida; she was 72. Mollye will be dearly missed by family and friends who will always remember her warmth, humor, compassion and love of life. Mollye was loved by a wide circle of devoted family and friends. She had a gift for deep human connection, and possessed a joy and kindness that illuminated the lives she touched. She opened up her heart and home to many, and built connections that were profound and endured throughout her lifetime.
This same compassion and concern for others was reflected in Mollye's many civic activities and her devotion to a wide-range of community organizations. An impassioned advocate who cared greatly about many issues, Mollye was particularly passionate about women's health and education. She was deeply involved in civic life in each of the communities in which she lived, serving and advising on many boards in Boston, Cleveland, Baltimore and Palm Beach.
Mollye grew up in Newton, Massachusetts and was a graduate of Brimmer and May, a school with which she felt a life-long connection. She attended Lesley University, where she received her Bachelors and later a Masters in Special Education. Mollye applied her training to develop and run a private practice from 1978 to 1997 as a special education counselor, supporting young people and their families in need of educational guidance and support. She specialized in testing and tutoring those with dyslexia.
Having survived cancer as a young woman -an ordeal that showed her the need for women to better understand the health issues they face -- in 1995 Mollye co-developed A Woman's Journey, a women's health conference that empowers women to make effective health care decisions for themselves and those they love. Twenty five years later, this program continues to thrive through an annual event drawing 1000 women a year to its flagship conference in Baltimore, as well as events in many Florida communities, including Palm Beach. Last year, Mollye was honored at the program's 25th anniversary event.
Mollye also served as a founding member of Baltimore's Odyssey School for children with dyslexia and was on the Leadership Councils of the Harvard School of Public Health and Lesley University. She was a member of the board of trustees and a national spokesperson for the National Stroke Association.
Notably during her later career, Mollye served as the director of the state of Maryland's Women's Health Program for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, between 1997 and 2006, where she was selected by the secretary of health to establish a program to help keep women and their families healthy.
Mollye is survived by her daughters Rebecca Feldman, Abigail (David) Dowd, her mother Esther (Sumner) Feldberg, her sister Beth Mann, her step-brother Michael (Ruth) Feldberg, and her step sister Ellen (Michael) Gordon, her step-children Pam (Steven) Brier and Brandon (Rachel) Block and grandchildren Zachary, Naomi, Zoe and Tali. She was the sister of the late James Lichter and daughter of the late Bernard Lichter. A memorial service will be held in 2021.
Donations in Mollye's memory can be made to:
The Dana Farber Cancer Institute
450 Brookline Avenue, Suite 120
Brookline, MA 02215
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