UFT Admin
- Retired school counselor
David Greenberg, a retired school counselor known for his professionalism and love of helping students, died on Oct. 25, 2025, at the age of 90 from multiple health complications.
Born and raised in New York and educated in New York City public schools, David began his career with the Department of Education as a substitute teacher in 1961 before being hired as a full-time teacher in 1964. Ten years later, he transitioned to a school counselor role at Sarah J. Hale HS in Brooklyn, working there for two decades before transferring in 1998 to Forest Hills HS in Queens.
At the time of his retirement in 2015 at age 79, David had worked in New York City public schools for more than five decades, sharing with those close to him that he had remained youthful by working with high schoolers.
David “took his job seriously and gave each student individual attention,” recalled retired school secretary Terry Lubin, who worked with David at Forest Hills HS. “He was a quiet gentleman professionally devoted to his work with the students in his caseload.”
David was “a true professional,” said retired teacher Eddy Mesidor, who served as the chapter leader at Forest Hills HS from 2006 to 2012. “David was experienced, a good team worker and autonomous, with respect for the rules. He had savoir faire and the capacity to adapt.”
Working as an educator gave David “a tremendous amount of satisfaction,” shared David’s son, Ariel Greenberg. “He was a person who loved to help,” Greenberg said of his father. “His greatest satisfaction was helping people: talking to them, understanding them and helping them grow and make a better life for themselves.”
Being an educator with a school day schedule also allowed David to prioritize the two things that were most important to him: family and religion. When he began his working life, it was difficult to find jobs that accommodated the Sabbath schedule David observed as an Orthodox Jew — particularly in the winter, “when the Sabbath starts early on Friday afternoons,” Greenberg explained. David also appreciated being able to start and end his work day earlier than he would have with typical 9-to-5 employment, allowing him to be home to parent and spend time with his children. “His goal was to invest in his family and make a wonderful family,” said Greenberg.
A lifelong learner, in his retirement, David took courses at the UFT’s Si Beagle Learning Center and at Queens College. He enjoyed building wooden models and using paint-by-number kits. His wife, Naomi Schubin Greenberg, was a professor at LaGuardia Community College for 42 years; they traveled together during school vacations and spent a sabbatical year in Italy.
David is survived by his wife, children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Condolences may be emailed to Naomi Schubin Greenberg at na516wash@yahoo.com.
