Elizabeth “Lisa” Pertzoff, age 82, of Yorklyn, Delaware died at home on July 16, 2022.
She was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware. She attended Tatnall School through 9th grade and graduated from Tower Hill School in 1956. She attended Middlebury College, Vermont, leaving to marry her first husband, Alexander Pertzoff, with whom she had two children. She eventually completed her college degree, graduating from Widener University in 1988.
After her marriage, she lived in the Boston area where she continued her involvement in profes-sional and amateur performing arts. She returned to the Wilmington area in 1970 and became the business manager of a needlepoint design business owned by her mother. In recovery herself, she became interested in the addiction treatment field and became a volunteer board member of the Delaware Council on Alcoholism. She went on to serve as its Executive Director from 1981-1984.
In 1985, she became Executive Director of the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems (DCGP), a private nonprofit in Wilmington, Delaware. She remained DCGP’s Executive Director until her re-tirement in 2015, building the agency from one employee in 1985 to seven full-time and three part-time employees in 2010. She was passionate about her work for DCGP and was nationally known for her work in the problem gambling field. At the National Council on Problem Gambling’s annual con-ference in 2016, she was awarded the Monsignor Joseph Dunne Lifetime Award for Advocacy, which is “Given in recognition of a career dedicated to improving the lives of problem gamblers and their families through advocacy, research, training, or the promotion of public awareness. Named after NCPG founder Monsignor Joseph Dunne, the Lifetime Award for Advocacy is only bestowed in ex-ceptional times and circumstances to individuals who exemplify at least twenty years of advocacy on behalf of problem gamblers.”
She brought the same energy, enthusiasm, and persistence she had for her career to her personal life. She cared deeply about the environment and supported many environmental organizations. She was an avid gardener, especially interested in native plants; she and her husband Rob worked tirelessly to transform their property to a native plant and wildlife habitat. She volunteered with and supported the Ashland Nature Center of the Delaware Nature Society, working hard for many years on its annual Native Plant Sale. After her retirement, she also became involved with the League of Women Voters.
She was an excellent cook and especially loved baking. She enjoyed reading, classical music, and was always ready for conversation. She adored her family and loved spending time with them, both at home and vacationing in Maine.
She is survived by her husband Robert Walton; children Tatiana “Tanya” Pertzoff-Wells (Gregory Wells) of West Chester, Pennsylvania; and Constantin “Dino” Pertzoff (Tanya) of Honolulu, Hawaii; brother William Bennethum of Cincinnati, Ohio; grandchildren Rachel Wells (Domenico Montini), Mika’ela Pertzoff-Williams (Colman Williams), Jacob Wells, Nikaya Pertzoff, Eliana Pertzoff, and Aleksandr Pertzoff; nieces, nephews and dear friends.
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