Geraldine Ratner

Geraldine “Geri” Ratner passed away peacefully on July 8, 2026, at the age of 82.

Born and raised in northeast Philadelphia, Geri lived a life filled with curiosity, purpose, and a deep commitment to caring for others. Geri made countless people feel seen, valued, and supported. Her life was highlighted by the innumerable ways in which she showed up for others every day.

After graduating from Temple University, Geri began her English teaching career in Queens, New York, while earning her master’s degree after school hours. She later found her professional home at Cherry Hill High School West in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where she spent nearly three decades. To generations of students, “Mrs. Lifshey” was far more than an English teacher. She believed all students deserved to be known as individuals. She invested extraordinary time and care in helping them discover their strengths, both inside and outside the classroom.

A passion for learning was one of Geri’s defining qualities. She was always eager to discover new authors, new cultures, and new ideas. She enjoyed traveling internationally, watching Broadway musicals, and having new adventures of any kind. She fulfilled a lifelong desire by studying for her Bat Mitzvah as an adult. After she retired, she fulfilled a childhood dream of participating in an archaeological dig by traveling to England to help as a volunteer on the excavation of a Roman villa. She continued her love of teaching by serving as a docent at a museum in Philadelphia and at a sea turtle rescue center in Florida.

Geri loved her family profoundly. She is survived by her husband, Irving Ratner; her son, Adam Lifshey (Jennifer) and their son, Landon; her daughter, Joanna Lifshey Rosen (David) and their children, Katarina, Joshua, and Elliot; her brother, William Sokolic (Carol); Irving’s grandchildren, whom she embraced as her own: Ethan and Aaron Tinkelman, Diana and Daniel Ratner, and Jesse and Juliet Ratner; and her much-loved four-legged family members, Sammy and Ruthie.

Geri’s legacy lives on in all the people she touched through her endless generosity of time and spirit, thoughtful intention, and genuine presence.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Geri’s memory may be made to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, https://marinelife.org/give/ or to a charity of the donor’s choice.