Phyllis Susan Romanoff Strauss

Dr. Phyllis Susan Romanoff Strauss, 82, of Newton MA passed away unexpectedly on September 19th, 2025. Phyllis was the daughter of Saul Mones Romanoff and Barbara Arick Romanoff. She is survived by her husband Walter Strauss, and two sons Charles and Nathaniel. She is also survived by her sister Martha Romanoff, brother Steven Romanoff, and four grandchildren, Theo, Ruby, Alma, and Julia.

She was devoted to her family and her career. Already as a teenager, she had decided she would become a scientist. After graduating from Brown University in chemistry and earning a Ph.D. in experimental biology from Rockefeller University, she became a professor of biochemistry and Matthews Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University and a Fulbright Scholar in India. She was committed to holding her many students to academic excellence. Over the years, she had many accomplishments in cell, molecular, and cancer biology as well as immunology, with a particular expertise in DNA repair.

She was vibrant, full of energy, honest, brilliant, and versatile. Her personal interests ranged from modern dance to skiing to reiki and yoga. On occasion, when something struck her funny bone just so, she would dissolve into peals of laughter.

Services will be held Thursday at 1:00pm at Stanetsky Memorial Chapel, 1668 Beacon Street in Brookline MA.

Shiva will be held on Tuesday September 30 from 7:00-9:00 PM at her late residence.

Donations can be made in her honor to Transition House (https://www.transitionhouse.org/). Also, the Association for (Women in Science https://awis.org/).