Deceased June 28, 2019
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In Memory
Dr. L. Scott Permesly, aged 74, died on June 28, 2019. A man of warmth and wisdom, he was devoted to his wife, Roxanne (Tufts ’68), and his children, Breton and Dania, and to the patients he guided with endless kindness and insight. Scott lived for knowledge and found beauty everywhere he looked. Scott was born in Chicago to Dr. Harry and Suzanne Permesly.
After relocating to Hollywood, Fla., Scott developed his avid, lifelong passion for sailing.
At Amherst Scott majored in biology. A member of Beta Theta Pi, he participated in tennis, crew, swimming and The Amherst Student and was a Doshisha Fellow. He obtained his M.D. degree at Tufts Medical School in 1971 and later spent five years at Harvard University, completing both child psychiatry and adult psychiatry residencies, serving his final year as chief resident.
Scott met his wife of 43 years, Roxanne, at a Sunday mixer at the Harvard Club in Boston. So began their storybook romance: a life of shared work, interests and deep devotion. Eventually, Scott and Roxanne headed to Princeton where Scott served as the Princeton University psychiatrist. Life was enriched by numerous trips to New York and by summers on their sailboat in Newport, R.I., and on the Chesapeake. Missing the open seas, Scott and Roxanne relocated to Florida. In 1988, Sarasota became home, and there they maintained a joint practice.
In addition to his passion for work, Scott was a true Renaissance man: a lover of music, an avid reader, a deep admirer of poetry, a strong tennis player. He spent as much free time as possible sailing with his family on the waters of Sarasota.
Scott is survived by his wife, Roxanne; his children, Breton and Dania, and their spouses; his granddaughter, Morgan; and his sister, Suzanne.
Roxanne Permesly and family