Meredith E. Drench, Ph.D., P.T., 63

EAST GREENWICH – Meredith (Merry) Drench died May 17. A graduate of Boston and Northeastern universities, she earned her doctorate at Union Institute and University and was a professor of physical therapy at Northeastern. She was an author and a popular lecturer.

Known for her sharp wit, she worked with many healthcare entities, including the VA in Boston.

She was born in New York City and grew up in New Jersey. She wrote “Red Ribbons Are Not Enough” about health professionals caring for people with AIDS, published many articles and co-authored three editions of “Psychosocial Aspects of Health Care.” As a physical and behavioral therapist, she worked and taught all over the world.

A president of Western New England Region Hadassah, she was a past president of the Rhode Island Hadassah chapter and a member of Hadassah’s national board. A judge for national and Rhode Island academic decathlons, she participated in BU’s alumni affairs, and the Meredith E. Drench Lecture Series,  Rhode Island Project AIDS and the AIDS Seder.

Daughter of the late Daniel and Madeline Drench of New Jersey, she is survived by her partner Paula Hurd of East Greenwich; brother Peter Drench and sister-in-law Anne Ferguson; nephew Zachary Drench and nieces Jessica Drench and Sarah Ferguson of Massachusetts and extended family, including many friends and colleagues.

Donations may be made to Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island, 1085 North Main St., Providence, RI 02904, the Dr. Meredith Drench Memorial Scholarship, c/o WNER Hadassah, 200 Reservoir St., Suite 103, Needham, MA 02494 or Westminster Sharing Locker, 119 Kenyon Ave., East Greenwich, RI 02818.