She graduated from West Catholic Girls High School and from the Philadelphia General Hospital School of Nursing. Trudy was preceded in death by her loving husband, Anthony F. DePalma, M.D.; her father, Joseph W. McGowan, and her mother, Gertrude V. Buchy McGowan and her stepfather Edgar J. Jalbert; sister Marguerite Conway and brother Edgar Jalbert, Jr... Trudy is survived by her sisters Catherine Thompson, Maryellen Santacroce, Patricia Elberson, and brother Joseph McGowan, many nieces and nephews, as well as numerous relatives and friends.
Trudy’s life included many contributions to the community and those in need, and together with her husband, left lasting legacies at Thomas Jefferson University, including – the Gertrude M. DePalma Nursing Scholarship and Professorship; Endowments of the Anthony F. and Gertrude M. DePalma Dean of Sidney Kimmel Medical College and the Anthony F. and Gertrude M. DePalma Professor of Orthopedic Research; the naming of the DePalma Auditorium in the Thompson Building; and a gift to create a Jefferson Alumni in World War II Exhibit at the Pinizzotto-Ammon Alumni Center. “My very first trip after joining Jefferson, as the Anthony F. and Gertrude M. DePalma Dean of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, was to visit with Trudy in Florida,” said Mark Tykocinski, MD, who serves as the Anthony F. and
Gertrude M. DePalma Dean of Sidney Kimmel Medical College. “She was so gracious and elegant, and so committed to helping others. Her generosity has transformed this university and improved the lives of our students and patients. It’s been my profound honor to be associated with the DePalma name, which is legendary here. We remain forever grateful for Trudy’s legacy and will miss her terribly.”
The family would like to thank caregivers Kiana, Linda, Michelle, and Sandy for the loving care given to Trudy.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Trudy’s memory may be made in support of the Jefferson College of Nursing Scholarship Fund. Please make checks payable to “Jefferson” and mail to: Office of Institutional Advancement, 125 S. 9th Street, Suite 600, Philadelphia, PA 19107, or donate online at Jefferson.edu/GiveDePalma or the TrustBridge Hospice Foundation, 5300 East Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 24, 2020 at 10:30 A.M. at Assumption Catholic Church, 2001 S. Ocean Blvd., Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL. 33062. Arrangements by Kraeer Funeral Home at Forest Lawn Funeral , 200 West Copans Road Pompano Beach, FL. 33064 (954) 784-4000.
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