Obituary: Ruth Kanfer

Dr. Ruth Kanfer passed away peacefully at home in Atlanta, Ga., on the morning of Aug. 13. Ruth was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and sister, and an esteemed professor of psychology. She was 70 years old.

Ruth was an amazing person — it is astonishing that one person could possess so many talents and hold so much love. Born in St. Louis, Mo., in 1955, Ruth was the eldest child of Ruby and Frederick Kanfer, and sister to Larry. The family moved frequently to follow Frederick’s academic career, and Ruth credited her upbringing with giving her a lifelong love of learning and exploration. She was an avid traveler, hiker, and biker, venturing all over the world with her family.

Following the threads of her interests from journalism, Ruth built a laudatory career as a professor of behavioral psychology, carving a path even when one wasn’t clear-cut. Most recently, she co-directed the PARK Lab at Georgia Tech with her husband, Phil, where her research focused on industrial and organizational psychology. She authored over 130 articles and chapters as well as multiple books, and received numerous awards for her work, including the prestigious Dunnette Prize from the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) in 2024. Most importantly, Ruth was dedicated to her students, caring deeply about their professional and personal development.

Ruth and Phil were partners in work and life in Atlanta, creating a loving community and leading the PARK research lab together at Georgia Tech. Ruth was a devoted mother to daughter, Sarah, championing her in all she did, from gymnastics to ceramics to her pursuit of a doctorate in nursing practice, to motherhood in her own time. She welcomed son-in-law, Lewis, to the family, and was a doting grandmother to granddaughter, Lucy, treasuring their time together. Family and friends were most important to Ruth, and she will be remembered for hosting celebrations from Halloween parties to Passover seders, welcoming all who came to her home.

Ruth will be remembered for her kindness, generosity, brilliance, humor, and fearlessness. Her love for life, and for all of the people dear to her, will forever be cherished by those who knew her. Ruth fought pancreatic cancer for two-and-a-half years to spend as much time on Earth as she could with her family, who survive her: husband, Phillip Ackerman, daughter, Sarah, son-in-law, Lewis, and granddaughter, Lucy; brother, Larry, his wife, Alaina, niece, Anna, and nephew, David; and brother-in-law, David Ackerman. She is predeceased by her parents, Ruby and Frederick Kanfer.

A memorial service was held Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., at Dressler’s Chapel, 3742 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, GA 30341. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to her memorial fund at the Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery program at NYU Langone, or Congregation Bet Haverim.