Paulette M. Ofrias of Southold died on April 26, 2025, at home. She was 67 years old.
Born in Greenport and raised in Southold, she was the owner of Southold Pharmacy and served as president of the Southold Board of Education. She was also a member of the Rotary Club of Southold.
Her family said she was a business leader, educational champion, and committed volunteer for many local civic organizations.
She worked at and owned Southold Pharmacy for more than 40 years, a business she was passionate about. In 2014, she was honored by the North Fork Chamber of Commerce with the Business of the Year Award on behalf of the Scott Family Pharmacy. In 2020, Southold Pharmacy was awarded the Suffolk Times Businesspeople of the Year. Paulette served on the Southold Board of Education for more than 22 years, including 13 years as president. Her family said she was instrumental in creating greater opportunities for Southold students and took pride in establishing Southold High School’s track and athletic complex. She was recognized with the SCOPE’s School Board Service Award for outstanding service to the district.
Paulette was active in the school’s athletic association, the building and grounds committee, and was a member of the Southold School Educational Foundation. She also volunteered for St. Patrick’s Church CCD religious education and CYO basketball programs and was a recipient of the St. Pius Award from the Diocese of Rockville Center. Additionally, she served as a trustee of the East End Health Plan and on the East End Financial Group Advisory Board. In 2017, she was named a Woman of Distinction for her impact on the Southold community.
She is survived by her husband, Gregory; sons Scott (Amy) of Nahant, Massachusetts, and Patrick James “PJ” (Abigail) of Chichester, New Hampshire; four grandchildren; and siblings Michelle Metz (William) and Suzanne “Choo” Fujita (David).
The family will receive friends on Thursday, May 1, 2025, from 2 to 8 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold. The liturgy of Christian burial will be celebrated on Friday, May 2, 2025, at 10 a.m. at St. Patrick’s R.C. Church in Southold. Interment will follow at St. Patrick’s R.C. Cemetery in Southold. In lieu of flowers, donations to LUNGevity would be appreciated.
