Trinidad Proffitt

SALISBURY — We mourn the great loss of Trinidad Proffitt, 88, who passed away peacefully on the morning of Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. She was a beloved mother, sister, grandmother, friend, and member of our local community.

Trina was born on Aug. 10, 1936, in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, to the late Carmen Martínez Padrón y Sandín and Lino Padrón Rivera, who co-authored the Puerto Rican Constitution. While studying Pharmacy at the University of Puerto Rico, she met the love of her life, Burton Proffitt, who was serving in the Marine Corps.

Together, they raised their family of three children in Puerto Rico and Long Island.

Trina was a woman ahead of her time in many ways. Early in her career, she created scents for perfumes and products like Tone Soap at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF). She also invented a method for suspending chemicals at very high concentrations, which allowed the company to expand significantly. She continued making radical scientific and organizational contributions at North Shore University Hospital in Long Island where she eventually became the Director of Outpatient Pharmacy. After retiring from Pharmacy, she moved to Los Angeles and became a docent, teaching art history to young children. She brought her love for teaching to Salisbury for the after-school program SOAR.

In her later years, she became an avid reader, likely consuming the entire collection at Scoville Memorial Library. She was well-known and loved by everyone. Tough and resilient, she rarely let anything slip by her. With a twinkle in her eye and a wry smile, she could make us laugh until we were in tears. She loved her children and grandchildren passionately.

She is survived by her sisters, Carmen and Bruni, her children Robert, Craig, and Pilar, and her grandchildren Isabel, Carmen, Grace, Ellis, Sam, Amelia, and Pablo.

A memorial service was held at the Salisbury Congregational Church on Sunday, Jan. 19, at 1 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to Noble Horizons in Salisbury. The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.