Barbara Perlmutter

It is with profound sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Barbara Sondik Perlmutter, beloved wife, sister, mother, and grandmother, on March 11, 2026 after a long fight with Alzheimer's. She passed away peacefully at home in New York City, surrounded by family and friends. She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Louis Perlmutter; her two sons Kermit and Eric and their wives Janet and Linda; her beloved grandchildren Ella, Rae, Alexa, and Luca; her sister Cindy Sondik Aron and brother Rick Sondik; and a close, loving, multigenerational network of cousins.

Barbara Sondik was born in West Hartford, CT, in 1941, to Ethel and Leon Sondik. She graduated from Smith College in 1963 and received an MA in history from Columbia University in 1964. In 1966, she married Louis Perlmutter, and the couple made their home in New York City. While raising two young children, Barbara studied for her MBA at New York University's Stern School of Business and received her degree in economics with distinction in 1977. She started her career in corporate communications, part of a new generation of women breaking professional barriers. In 1979, she joined National Economic Research Associates (NERA) as assistant to the president and senior analyst. In 1986, she went to Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. and rose to become senior vice president of public affairs for the global professional services firm. As its chief communications officer, she was responsible for the development and management of internal and external communications, media and public relations, marketing, advertising and corporate philanthropy. During her time there, she oversaw the company's communications post-9/11.

Barbara was active in many philanthropic organizations, especially those supporting women. She was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and its Women and Foreign Policy advisory panel and a board member of The Jewish Museum and Brandeis International Business School. She was a vice chair of Women In Need Inc. and a co-chair of the New York Leadership Circle of Women for Women International. She was a Fellow of Brandeis University, where she chaired its National Women and Gender Studies board.

Barbara's homes in New York and Pound Ridge, NY, were frequently filled with several generations of her extended, close-knit family. She was thought of as one of the family matriarchs, hosting weddings and bar mitzvahs, holidays and birthdays, passing traditions such as the recipe for her famous ice cream pie to the next generations. Her door was always open, and her mentorship often sought by friends, family, and new acquaintances alike. She was dearly loved by her family and friends, and respected and supported by many whose lives she touched. She is greatly missed.

A Funeral Service will be held at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 180 West 76th Street, New York, NY 10023, US, on March 15, 2026, at 11:30 am.

Burial will be private.