John Bligh
- Retired teacher
Cherie Phyllis Bermudez had a gift for communicating with her students at IS 292 in East New York, Brooklyn, where she taught social studies and English as a Second Language before her retirement in 2001.
“Her students, many of whom came back to visit, were heard to say, ‘Yes, Mrs. Bermudez was my teacher, but, oh, I wish she were my mother,'” said her longtime friend Barbara Kadish. “Cherie never stopped helping people.”
Cherie, 74, died of a heart attack on Jan. 2, 2020, after a long illness.
Kadish, also a retired teacher, said she and Cherie were close friends for 35 years. “We were like family,” she said.
Cherie lived in Chelsea in Manhattan and earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at Queens College. She earned a master’s in education in 1969 and a master’s in English as a Second Language in 1992. She was the recipient of a fellowship from the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors in 1988, and received another fellowship from the International Education Center in 1991. In 1997, Cherie traveled to Italy as the recipient of an Astor International Travel Fellowship for city teachers, established by the late philanthropist Brooke Astor.
From 1985 to 1988, Cherie was a member of the New York City Board of Examiners, helping to design tests for new teachers.
She was both a yearbook and student council adviser during her teaching career.
When Cherie retired on July 1, 2001, the street in front of IS 292 was renamed Cherie Bermudez Boulevard for the day, with the permission of the office of then-mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Cherie enjoyed photography, theater and travel.
She was predeceased by her husband of 50 years, Joseph Bermudez. In addition to Kadish, she is survived by numerous friends.
Condolences may be sent in care of:
Kadish
5 Tudor City Place, Apt. 815
New York NY 10017
