In Memoriam

Marian Thom, a dynamic force for Asian American causes and a founding member of the UFT Paraprofessionals Chapter, died on Sept. 3 after a nine-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 88.

Loletha Reid-Washington was known among the staff and families of PS 150 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, as a tremendously caring teacher and a supportive colleague. She died on Aug. 13, 2024, at her home in Dover, Delaware. She was 73.

Gloria Parker, a foreign language teacher in New York City public schools for 29 years, died on July 2, 2024, at age 94. The cause was cardiovascular disease.

Marjorie Stamberg, a retired Pathways to Graduation teacher and delegate who spent her life fighting for the rights of the oppressed, died on May 29 after a three-year battle with ovarian cancer. She was 79.

Thelia Williams, a retired New York City public school secretary with 28 years of service, died on May 26 of natural causes. She was 91.

Robert “Bob” Lanaghan, a longtime music teacher at Fort Hamilton HS in Brooklyn and a central figure in the school’s performing arts program, died on May 8, 2024, at the age of 59. The cause was melanoma.

Eloise Fowle, a UFT retiree who taught physical education in New York City public schools for 31 years, died on April 23, 2024, at age 72. The cause was liver cancer.

Howard Rotterdam, who brought an unflagging sense of curiosity and determination to high school and adult education, was a highly regarded teacher, UFT staff developer and teacher trainer who taught at the city’s Special Education and Training and Resource Centers for teachers in District 75 schools. He died on March 30, 2024, at age 76.

Rose Crosby, a high school educator and teacher-trainer with New York City public schools for 35 years, died on March 29, 2024, at the age of 76. The cause was cancer.

Acacia Audinot, a retired paraprofessional who worked at two schools in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, died of natural causes on March 28, 2024. She was 99.

George Anthony Martin, a longtime and beloved paraprofessional at PS 77@Brooklyn College Academy, was known for his unwavering, lifelong passion for education for both his students and himself. He died on March 19 after a fall due to heart failure. He was 65.

William “Bill” O’Brien was a master teacher, inculcating a love of literature and poetry in his students at Fort Hamilton HS in Brooklyn, where he taught for 24 years. He also was a strong union supporter, encouraging his fellow educators to participate and take leadership roles in the UFT. He had a great sense of humor and a love of life that enlivened the classroom and school for both students and colleagues. Bill died on March 16, 2024, of metabolic encephalopathy, at age 73.

Abraham “Abe” Schneider, a longtime Bronx elementary school teacher who was known as a caring and creative educator for children with behavioral issues, died on Feb. 17 of congestive heart failure. He was 94.

Karen Moskowitz, an early childhood teacher, attendance teacher and testing coordinator who worked for 35 years in New York City public schools, died on Feb. 12, 2024.

Retired teacher James Eterno, a longtime UFT Executive Board member, chapter leader and union activist, died on Feb. 6, 2024. He was 63.

Mabel Tannenbaum, a devoted and longtime elementary math teacher at PS 50 in Jamaica, Queens, died of natural causes on Jan. 25, 2024, at the age of 103.  She was well-liked and respected by both students and staff, earning awards and accolades over the years.

Robert Kudless, a Staten Island native who taught middle school English early in his career before shifting to special education, was known for his empathy and gentle demeanor. He died on Jan. 6, 2024, following a fall, at age 79.

Ann Pychewicz, a longtime school secretary and dedicated unionist, died Dec. 4, 2023, at the age of 84. The cause was a stroke.

Muriel Gray, a staunch union activist and longtime teacher at PS 243 in Crown Heights, believed in the power of travel to expand her students’ horizons. She died on Nov. 19, 2023, of heart failure, at age 93.

Anthony Joseph Armada, a devoted Brooklyn elementary school teacher who retired in 2008, died on Oct. 15, 2023, of cardiopulmonary arrest. He was 77.

Toby Skier, an unflagging champion of arts education, instilled a love of music in several generations of Howard Beach, Queens, elementary school students before retiring in 1993. She died on Oct. 1, 2023, at age 95.

Sally Garrett, an ELA teacher at Brooklyn’s IS 293 who started her career as a paraprofessional, quietly fought for equity and rights in the workplace. She died on Sept. 10, 2023, at age 90.

Kathi Goldman, a high school biology and chemistry teacher for 25 years, a former UFT chapter leader and a longtime girls softball coach, died on Sept. 3, 2023, after a 16-month battle with cancer. She was 80.

George Altomare, a key founder of the UFT who led with insight, devotion and a great deal of heart, died on Aug. 20, at age 92 after a long illness.

Barbara Benjaminson, a retired lab specialist who worked in New York City public schools for 29 years, died on July 24, 2023, of complications from diabetes.

George Caulfield, a longtime representative for Manhattan’s District 3 who remained active in the union in retirement, was “the salt of the earth” and “a kind soul” who earned UFT members’ devotion and respect through his tireless advocacy for them.

“Leo Hoenig, a founder of this union, was a great man. We are just caretakers of what he and other retirees built,” said UFT Secretary LeRoy Barr at a June 13, 2023, meeting of the union’s Retired Teachers Chapter, of which Leo was an active member.

Bob Miller was a founding member of the UFT and a dedicated teacher at George Washington HS in northern Manhattan. He was a union organizer for the fledgling UFT and a longtime UFT District 6 representative par excellence.

Carolyn Smart, a longtime special education teacher and UFT member whose career spanned 40 years, was known as an educator who treated all her students with respect and dignity.

Neil Olshan, a beloved elementary school teacher, treasured colleague and union supporter, died on April 16, 2023, of a rare condition. He was just shy of his 80th birthday.

Betty June Gottfried, the longtime chapter leader of the UFT’s Adult Education Chapter, successfully organized city-employed educators of adults, lobbied the union to recognize them and fought to win salaries, pensions and benefits equal to those of other teachers.

Patricia “Pat” Filomena, a respected Bronx teacher and longtime union activist, died on Feb. 4 following an illness. She had just celebrated her 80th birthday on Feb. 1.

Jennie Esposito, a retired business education teacher and guidance counselor at August Martin HS in Jamaica, Queens, died on Feb. 13 of cancer. She was 72.

Max Brimberg, a Brooklyn social studies teacher and the first UFT Brooklyn high schools representative, was known for his dedication to teaching, the union and social justice.

George Franz became a paraprofessional in 1976, working at PS 3 in Manhattan, and two years later made the jump to science teacher. He would be an educator for 20 years.

To hear friends and colleagues tell it, the “accent” on Shelly Vilsaint’s last name belonged firmly on the second syllable.

Elizabeth Sciabarra, who had a positive influence on thousands of students during a career in education that lasted more than 40 years, died on Nov. 26, 2022, after two years of serious health problems. She was 70.

Over a 70-year career in public service, Osceola Louis Fletcher — commonly known as Ozzy — spent just 18 years as a teacher, working from 1972 to 1990 at Boys and Girls HS in Brooklyn, where he taught English.

Barbara Mylite, the UFT’s district representative for District 30 in Queens for 13 years, “was a force but she was also compassionate,” according to Geraldine Clark, a former chapter leader for PS 92 in that district.

Retired teacher Barry Spielvogel, a UFT member for 53 years and a beloved Public Schools Athletic League coach, died on Oct. 9, 2022, at age 75.

Retired educator Joyce Magnus, who helped thousands of teachers get their certification and worked tirelessly as a retiree to advance the UFT’s political agenda, died on Oct. 8, 2022, of heart failure. She was 80.

Susan Miller’s girlhood dream of working for the U.S. State Department and living abroad ended 50 years ago when she learned that a top diplomat who spoke out against the Vietnam War at a party was demoted to a job in Passport Control after his supervisor was told of his remarks.

Marna Davidson, the former coordinator of the Retired Teachers Chapter’s Florida office, “made the UFT into a presence to be reckoned with [in Florida] in pursuit of union goals,” said RTC Chapter Leader Tom Murphy.

“Children took to” Laura Heifferman because she “was a great teacher with a great personality,” said her colleague and longtime friend, JoAnn Chokos.

Retired teacher Sherylyn Bailey, a staffer in the UFT’s Staten Island borough office and the longtime UFT coordinator of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer for the borough, died suddenly on Sept. 10. She was 74.

Florence Fidell, a driving force in the early days of the UFT’s Paraprofessionals Chapter, went on to serve as a coordinator of the Palm Beach office of the Retired Teachers Chapter and was active in the RTC’s political operation in Florida.

During her 40-year teaching career, Antoinette Messina often used her knack for connecting with children and her love of languages to help her immigrant students learn English.

Irina Karpova, an adaptive physical education teacher with a gift for reaching her District 75 students and spreading joy throughout her school, died on June 28, 2022, after a battle with breast cancer. She was 58.

Linda Green became a teacher at PS 154 in Harlem because “she wasn’t feeling fulfilled” working as a 911 operator with the NYPD, according to a friend. She taught 2nd and 3rd grades at the school for 17 years, the last several years while battling cancer, until the disease forced her to retire in 2018.

Gail Denise Lord, a paraprofessional at PS/IS 206 in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, was “a light to all who knew her, bright and warm,” said her brother, Afinju McDowell.

John Russiello, a retired attendance teacher and football coach who spent 28 years working for the New York City Department of Education, died on Dec. 1, 2021, of cancer. He was 78.

Norma Trivelli, a longtime language teacher at IS 240, Andries Hudde JHS, in East Midwood, Brooklyn, died of natural causes on Nov. 9, 2021, in Leesburg, Florida. She was 88.

Milton Polsky was a superlative English teacher with an exuberant passion for writing, theater, social justice and getting others involved in the most inclusive way possible. He brought that fervor not only to the classroom, but also to the Si Beagle Learning Center, where he was an instructor, and to the UFT Players, a professional committee within the union that he co-chaired.

Helene R. Yarmus was a dedicated and beloved educator, teaching 5th-grade students at PS 41 in the Bronx for many years before becoming a mentor to new teachers in District 11, also in the Bronx.

Darshanand D. Ramdas took a pay cut in 1997 when he left his job as an airline mechanic to become a teacher at the Bronx Engineering and Technology Academy. He did so for personal reasons and never regretted it.

Helen C. Arvanitis, who taught at public schools in Harlem and Queens, died on Aug. 15, 2021, in Danbury, Connecticut. She was 95.

Loida Allison Lester loved teaching in the Brownsville, Brooklyn, neighborhood where she spent most of her life. ” She wanted to make a meaningful contribution to the community in which she was raised,” said her sister Dr. Lynn Lester.

Rose Rita Barry, a UFT member for 50 years and a teacher in a family of teachers, died on Aug. 7, 2021, after a long illness. She was 93.

Melissa Vanessa Hall, a kindergarten teacher at PS 152 in the South Bronx, “worked with passion, integrity and determination, making such an impact on the lives of the students and families she served,” said Chapter Leader Jasmine Chandoo.

During her 30-year career as a social studies teacher, Anna was a mentor to both teachers and students at Lehman HS and later at Walton HS in the Bronx, said her daughter, Karen Osborne. She was passionate about social justice issues and, after retiring in 1996, she tutored students studying for their GED certificates.

Nicholas Farinacci, a retired industrial arts teacher, died on July 2, 2021, of cardiopulmonary arrest. He was 98.

Founding UFT member Jeannette “Jeanie” Ritter, 84, was remembered by a former friend and public school colleague as the “epitome of the qualities we hope for in a teacher: intelligent, compassionate, witty, creative and curious.”

Vidalina Martinez was a UFT member for 20 years, and most recently worked at the Bronx Aerospace Academy HS, where she was a bilingual special education paraprofessional since 2011. “She was very dedicated to the students,” said Chapter Leader Georgina Appiah.

Marcella Neil-Simpson was an occupational therapist to scores of students over her decades of work at Q752, the Queens Transition Center, a District 75 school with four sites.

Matthew Jensen, widely known as the “mayor” of PS 110 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, was a beloved English as a Second Language teacher who “had a connection to everyone in the building,” said his colleague, special education teacher Genevieve La Riva.

Eileen Shostack, a retired teacher and a UFT member for almost 50 years, will be remembered for generations at Manhattan’s PS 75, the Emily Dickinson School, where the library has been dedicated in her memory. The school’s staff honored Eileen’s many years of service in November 2021 and placed a plaque outside the school library.

Barbara Miller was a warm and welcoming teacher who found joy in helping students from other countries feel at home at PS 19 on Staten Island, where she taught for 10 years.

Donald Isoldi loved sharing his passion for music — both while he was a math and business teacher at Harry Van Arsdale HS in Brooklyn, and later as a retiree teaching Si Beagle courses on different musical genres, including the Big Band era and the doo-wop sound of the 1950s.

Rhoda Frohlinger retired more than 30 years ago, in 1990, but some of her students still remember their “favorite 3rd-grade teacher.”

Joshua Chosak was a dedicated home instruction teacher in Brooklyn for 30 years. “He was the consummate professional, respected and admired by all,” said his brother, Emanuel Chosak.

Miguel Pineda was a dedicated math teacher and one of the founders of Newcomers HS in Queens, a school created to support newly arrived immigrants.

Ed Muir, a staunch union activist for 44 years, got involved in the UFT as a picket captain in the union’s early strikes and became a nationally recognized labor leader for his pioneering work on school safety issues.

Anna Cortes, 93, a dedicated and caring paraprofessional for 35 years, died of the coronavirus on Feb. 11, 2021.

Ellen Singler was a longtime English language arts teacher at IS 2, George L. Egbert Intermediate School, in Midland Beach on Staten Island. She was a devoted teacher for 31 years, sharing her love of reading and writing with generations of 6th-8th graders. She retired in 1996.

Grace Thorpe-Brathwaite, a lifelong educator who taught in the city public school system, on the college level, as a missionary and at her church, died on Jan. 18, 2021, of natural causes. She was 90.

Steve Melniszyn, a UFT member for 20 years, “was a caring math teacher who always had time to help students,” said his wife, Catherine Felix-Melniszyn. They were often stopped by former students on trains or neighborhood streets, she said. Steve would take the time to find out what had been going on in their lives and the students would “boast about how much he helped them,” she recalled.

Cherie Holley spent 29 of her 35 years as a teacher at PS 110 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where she grew up. Her specialty was math and science.

Nettie Becker introduced modern dance into the curriculum at Springfield Gardens HS in Queens during her 20 years as a health and physical education teacher at the school.

Carol Klar began her long teaching career as a 4th-grade teacher but later became a science teacher at PS 48 in Hunts Point, the Bronx. She retired in 2003.

Ellen Feldman was an elementary school reading teacher who is remembered as generous and caring.

Reading teacher Umilta Al-Uqdah is remembered for her “sweet spirit” and for always having “words of encouragement for students and colleagues.”

Gail Sallustro began her career as an elementary school teacher in 1962. She married in 1969 and took time off to raise a son, returning to the city Department of Education in 1988 as a school counselor. For the final 15 years of her career, Gail worked at P106, a District 75 school for children with special needs.

Barbara Shiller was a UFT member for 50 years, first as an English teacher, and then as a chapter leader and a special representative for retirees, specializing in health and pension issues.

Edwin Skolnick, a UFT chapter leader in Queens for more than 25 years before his retirement in 1995, “dedicated himself to the union’s growth and survival,” said Richard Miller, a former UFT vice president for middle schools. “He should be remembered as a dedicated teacher and trade unionist.”

Susan Brody, a retired English teacher and a UFT Teacher Center coach, was a UFT member for 34 years. Susan, 72, died on Nov. 15 of COVID-19.

Paraprofessional Eileen Stareshefsky was “the heart and soul of the alternative school network” for 31 years until her retirement in 2015.

Throughout her 18 years as a paraprofessional, Elizabeth Velasco was a union activist. For more than a decade, she served as the paraprofessional representative at Edward R. Murrow HS in the Midwood section of Brooklyn.

Students were quick to register their feelings when they learned of the death of PS 165 librarian Antoinette Pizzitola on Nov. 1.

Alice Mucha, a retired fine arts teacher and a UFT member for more than 40 years, died of natural causes on Oct. 23. She was 88.

Elizabeth Langiulli, a pivotal figure in UFT leadership for four decades, died on Sept. 24. She was 85.

The UFT lost one of its icons with the passing of Edith “Eadie” Shanker, a UFT founder and the wife of former UFT President Albert Shanker, at age 87 on September 19 after suffering from kidney problems for several years.

Lavette Alexander loved teaching math and taught it in Manhattan for 26 years at PS 30 and PS 133, and was a math intervention teacher, math coach and math staff developer at PS 123 when she retired in 2013.

Diane Andersen retired in January 2020 after almost 30 years as an early childhood educator at PS 255 in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.

A former student paid tribute to retired teacher Ronald Lazarus: “The successful lives we’ve made for ourselves is due largely to his being a guiding force for good at a time in our teenage lives where few other adults would even put up with us,” said Jeff Vargon.

During her 14 years as an English teacher at Midwood HS in Brooklyn, Maureen Cox trained scores of her English language learners to be authors.

Louisa Johnston had a deep commitment to the UFT for 62 of her 95 years, serving for 29 years as an art teacher and devoting 32 years more to being a retiree union activist.

“Maurice was a strong teacher advocate and a fighter for teachers’ rights and civil rights,” said Marvin Reiskin, a retired UFT political director, who met Maurice in 1968, when teachers went on strike after his second day of teaching.

Ely Cohen, 88, had a distinguished career as a history and English teacher before coming out of retirement to help shape the UFT’s Si Beagle Learning Centers for retired members.

“Think of yourself as a sunflower — the tallest, biggest and most beautiful flower in the garden,” Renee Diamond counseled a 1st-grader who was being picked on in 1985.

Sonya Pendleton was known as a “dove of peace” for the calming effect she had on the entire PS 57 community.

“To know Fred was to love Fred,” said Sabrina Crockett, Freddy Concepcion’s colleague for more than 30 years. “He was who he was. He spoke his mind. If he could help you, he would help you. If he couldn’t, he would direct you to where you could get help. Anybody and everybody, he always tried to help.”

As a school counselor working with dropouts who were seeking ways to finally earn a diploma, Anna Eng had limited time with students. But she made every minute count, guiding and supporting them as they worked to turn their lives around.

Kevin Bostic brought to his work a deep knowledge of how best to increase community engagement and how to reach troubled students, beginning with those in the now-defunct P4 in Queens, an alternative high school where he was assigned as a school safety agent, said Persuasion Branch, the chapter leader for school security supervisors.

Eric “Chaz” Chasanoff, 69, was a passionate education activist and retired science teacher who authored the popular blog “Chaz’s School Daze” from January 2006 until nine days before he died on May 5.

“Just being around Bert made you feel good,” said Tom Murphy, the chapter leader of the UFT’s Retired Teachers Chapter. “He cared about people and he was a great student advocate.”

Jennifer Romain-Hinds will be remembered by colleagues and students at PS 123 in Queens for much more than her bright smile and positive message. She will also be remembered for her strength and independence.

For 21 years, Caleb Saint Surin served the students at PS 181 in Brooklyn with enthusiasm, sharing with them his love for and expertise in mathematics.

Matthew Ian Johnson, a special education math teacher for 25 years, turned Xavier Gonzalez’s life around simply by inviting the 5th-grader to “come and have lunch with me” when he was acting out. Today, Xavier is attending Yale University on a scholarship and is majoring in math.

Gabrielle Gayle, a 4th-grade special education teacher at Merrick Academy – Queens Public Charter School in Laurelton, was known for saying, “If you need help, my door is always open,’’ Chapter Leader Christine Hernandez remembered.

To those he taught, Robert Maller was known as “Maestro Maller.”

Edward LaTourette found both a calling and a career in teaching global and U.S. history at Curtis HS on Staten Island. “A student would ask a question and he would launch into a story,” bringing the subject matter to life in vivid detail, said his wife, Stefanie. “Ed truly loved his job,” she said.

Roy Pikser’s colleagues are prepared for a big void at Long Island City HS when it reopens. “Our building will not be the same,” said fellow teacher Laura Parker.

Janee Christensen knew how to handle and resolve the “attitudes, moods and physical challenges” of students dealing with emotional issues at P23 Lifeline Children’s Center, Queens, where she worked for nearly 31 years before retiring in 2018.

Susan Berman Levine believed in celebrating the special moments. That’s one of the things Gloria Slosberg remembers about their time working together as secretaries at Beach Channel HS in Queens before Susan’s retirement in 1999.

“In all his endeavors, my dad was an educator,” Emily Moroney said of her father, per-diem teacher Edward Moroney. “Be it as a teacher in New York City public schools or from the pulpit as a pastor/missionary or teaching his daughters that education is the most important instrument of hope for ourselves and for others.”

Allyson is fondly remembered as “the great communicator” at PS 229 in Maspeth, Queens, where she spoke eloquently on behalf of her students and colleagues. She died April 19 at the age of 48.

Steven Freedman, who taught for 32 years at public schools throughout New York City and continued to teach in other venues after his retirement, died on April 18, 2020, at age 71, of complications from COVID-19.

It wasn’t unusual to find Tammy Hendriks leading the way for colleagues and students; her “passion for teaching” was evident each day, said her daughter.

As tributes keep pouring in, it seems as if everyone at PS/MS 280, past and present, has a special remembrance of “Mr. B” to share.

Julia Hidalgo, a paraprofessional at PS 811 The Mickey Mantle School, is remembered by colleagues as someone who cared about her students and coworkers at the District 75 school in Manhattan.

Magdelana Ocampo Franco spent 20 years as a bilingual social worker, advocating for children with special needs and their families.

Lewis Kirsch, a beloved Bronx social studies teacher, loved his family, his extended family and friends, his IS 206 family and his Deadhead family, the obsessive fans of The Grateful Dead band. Lew, as he was known, loved life.

Virginia Jackson, who started out as a paraprofessional and later became a teacher in her 40-year-long career in New York City public schools, is remembered for her devotion to her students and as a true lifelong learner.

Rose Mary Infantino, a retired school counselor, was devoted to her students at the now defunct Adlai Stevenson HS in the Bronx. As their college counselor, she helped set them on the path they would follow after high school.

“Her generosity knew no bounds.” That’s how Chapter Leader Stephanie Sangosse summed up Fatima Schmidt, a 4th-grade teacher at PS 333 in the Hunt’s Point section of the Bronx.

“An educator, mentor and adviser to students and staff alike, Jeffrey Alston was a vibrant part of our community,” said Keith Miller, the UFT chapter leader at the Juan Morel Campos School of the Arts in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. “He loved his job and, most important, his students, immeasurably,” Miller said.

Barry Stockman and Robert Thoering didn’t have children, but Stockman said his partner always said he had thousands of children.

“Mrs. K,” as she was affectionately called by her students, was appreciated for her joy and dedication as a paraprofessional at PS 203 in Queens. For her part, all Deborah Korczynski’s students were “my kids.”

Karen Kelly, age 64, was a retired paraprofessional who worked in schools in District 75 in the Bronx. In retirement, she lived in Lakewood, New Jersey.

Alexander Meyers built his life around the strong principles of education and union activism. A UFT member since the union’s birth 60 years ago, he went on strike during his first year of teaching to help the UFT gain recognition and collective bargaining rights.

Retiree Valerie Fata missed teaching so much she couldn’t stay away from the classroom.

Winston Silvera was a longtime science teacher and chapter leader at Harry S. Truman HS in the Bronx. After work hours, he was a U-rating advocate in the union’s Bronx and then Manhattan borough offices. He retired from teaching in 2003, but continued his work defending union members.

Carlos N. Torres was a devoted and hard-working attendance teacher who traveled to all the boroughs to reach his students and get them back in school.

Vincio Donato, age 86, was a founding member of the UFT who taught for 35 years, but he was best known in recent years as the longtime director of the union’s Just for Fun department.

Magda Napoleoni was a paraprofessional par excellence at PS 298 in Brooklyn, where she was known for her kindness toward both students and staff and for her dedication as an educator. “She was a shining light who always made people smile,” said coworker Aliza Thomas.

For more than 25 years, Yvette Vega’s title was school secretary. But Yvette “was way more than our school secretary,” said her friend and colleague Tanya Brand.

Diane L. Riegger was union through and through. In a career that spanned 40 years, she worked for various departments of the union and gave her all to each one.

She had style, she had moves, she had a caring character and she had a school community that loved her. Valerie Wilson, a 65-year-old paraprofessional, indeed will be missed by students and staff at the PS 721 Occupational Training Center in Brooklyn.

Jean Geringer could have written a book about all the changes she witnessed from her 1967 debut as a school secretary at James Monroe HS in the Bronx to her next job at Russell Sage JHS in Forest Hills, Queens, until her retirement 30 years later as a payroll secretary at Stephen Halsey JHS, also in Forest Hills.

Elena Gonzalez dedicated her career as a paraprofessional to making sure that students with special needs, especially English language learners, received the quality education they deserved.

Hilda Pacheco was a longtime paraprofessional and UFT paraprofessional representative at the High School for Law and Public Service, part of the George Washington Educational Campus in Manhattan. A UFT member since 2000, she worked at the school for her entire 23-year career.

Sharon Bascom was a kindergarten teacher at PS 306 in Brooklyn and a UFT member for more than 20 years. Although she had just begun teaching at PS 306 before Christmas, “it was as though she had always been there; she was like a member of the school family,” said Clifton Sherman, the school’s chapter leader.

One friend summed up Sharon Kaufman this way: “She was a beautiful person, a great friend and a wonderful teacher.” Another said she “always put the children and their families first.” Sharon, 63, a special education teacher at PS 31 in the St. George section of Staten Island, died on April 6, leaving her mark on students and adults alike.

Founding UFT member Irving Barash, 93, taught history and economics at Bayside HS in Queens for more than 30 years. He died on April 6.

Carol King-Grant was only in her fourth year as a 6th-grade special education teacher at Mott Hall Science and Technology Academy in the South Bronx, but her loss will leave a huge void, according to her co-workers.

Anton Updale was a strong believer in giving back to his community and lived that belief every day of his life. For more than 25 years, he was a physical education teacher at IS 34 on Staten Island, where he taught countless students and made a positive difference in their lives.

“Momma Shirl,” as Claudia Shirley was known in her school community, was a consummate educator who believed in her students and was always willing to give of herself to help her colleagues, her students and their parents.

Her students loved her and looked forward each day to her bright and bubbly personality, which lit up the classroom.

Kimarlee Nguyen taught English for six years at The Brooklyn Latin School, reveling in the environment of the academically rigorous specialized public high school with a diverse student body.

David Behrbom was one of those special people who never forgot your name once he met you. “He was a very warm and friendly teacher who always offered a hand to anyone in need,” said Deborah Morgan, the chapter leader at PS 55 in the Bronx, where Behrbom taught physical education for more than 15 years.

Alyssa Pantilieris was affectionately called “Ms. P” by students and colleagues. As she approached her 20th year as a special education teacher, she had established her reputation as a staunch advocate for her students in and out of the classroom.

The staff at P79 in East Harlem is mourning the loss of a very special member of their school community, 91-year-old paraprofessional Rosario Gonzalez.

In an outpouring of love and remembrance, students and parents have been leaving flowers at IS 24 for Sharon Nearby, an ELA teacher at the Staten Island school for 27 years.

Linda Pope was a beloved paraprofessional who worked for 29 years at CS 154 in Harlem. A nurturing mother figure to her students, Pope was loved by all in the school community. She had an associate’s degree in early childhood education and touched many lives through her work.

When Susan E. Wagner HS opened its doors in 1968, Martin Flanzbaum was part of its original staff. Though his teaching career began at Erasmus Hall HS in Brooklyn, he spent more than two decades at Wagner.

Rulx Dagus loved children. He didn’t have any of his own so he channeled that love into his work. “He was a nurturing paraprofessional for our special needs students,” said Mark Maliaros, the chapter leader at P369@P67 in Brooklyn, who also worked with Rulx for nine years at P67 and considered him a friend.

As newlyweds 49 years ago, Lincoln and Norma Esbrand taught for two years in a Seventh-day Adventist school in the jungles of Guyana. Dedication to his faith, his wife and teaching defined Lincoln Esbrand from those days forward, until he died at 71 on April 3.

Carmen Manto was a longtime paraprofessional at PS 152 in Woodside, Queens. A devoted wife and mom to three children, she lived most of her life in Queens before moving to Cranford, New Jersey, after she retired in 2008. She was 75.

Steve Littenberg was “extremely competent at what he did and extremely versatile,” said friend and former colleague Douglas Cahill. Their work relationship spanned nearly 20 years, with Steve supervising Cahill at the outset.

Jarrod Sockwell often had a receiving line at his table in the cafeteria at P256@PS43, a District 75 school in Far Rockaway, Queens, where he worked as a paraprofessional in grades 6-8.

Students at IS 61 in Queens will honor their music teacher, Diony Diaz, who inspired others through his passion for music, with a page of tributes in their 2020 school yearbook.

Catharine Kelly taught 1st and 2nd grade at PS 158 on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for more than 30 of her 44 years as an elementary school teacher.

Warm, smiling, engaging and intelligent, she captured the hearts and minds of everyone she encountered in her school community, from the newest student to the longest-serving colleague.

Sandra Vizcaino was the 3rd-grade dual language teacher at PS 9 in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. Always wearing a smile on her face, she was known and appreciated for her nurturing and loving personality and her willingness to go above and beyond for students and colleagues.

Joseph Pasquariello was a much beloved language teacher at Tottenville HS on Staten Island for 32 years, with deep and abiding connections to his colleagues and students.

John C. Leonard, a computer science and technology teacher who retired in 2003, made a powerful difference in the lives of his students and his community. Stern but fair, John always managed to weave life lessons into his teaching at the Mott Hall School in West Harlem.

Gilbert Constant was a dedicated and generous colleague to his coworkers and a caring educator to his students in the school community at 811K, a District 75 junior high and high school in Brooklyn.

When Stuart Baker arrived at Woodside JHS in Queens in 1972, it was the start of a beautiful friendship.

The loss of Leslie Verneret has left a void in the PS 268 Emma Lazarus community, where she played an integral part. She was known by all for being trustworthy, hardworking and dedicated to supporting her students and colleagues.

Education was everything to Myrtle Pollard, who taught for most of her career at PS 181 in Flatbush, Brooklyn. By the time she retired 17 years ago, Myrtle had taught health education and physical education as well as Adult Basic Education in the Bronx.

Paula Pryce-Bremmer was a beloved colleague, described by coworkers as the “heartbeat” of Careers in Sports HS. She started her career as an elementary school teacher before becoming a high school creative writing teacher, then transitioned to school counselor in 2007, when she joined Careers in Sports HS. It was in this role she found her true passion.

Christopher Mondal was a per-diem paraprofessional at PS 46 in the Bronx who had a huge impact on the school in the eight years he worked there.

The school community at PS 60 in Bulls Head, Staten Island, is mourning the loss of Alba, who died days following her 73rd birthday.

José Gonzalez, who retired in 2018 after a 30-year career as a paraprofessional, used his gifts as an artist and musician to enrich the lives of children.

Kim Ryan was just starting her teaching career at PS 42 on Staten Island in 2000 when Cathi Sherman was winding down her career after 34 years as a teacher. Their time at the elementary school overlapped by only two years. But Ryan says Sherman was unforgettable: an experienced colleague who was generous with her time and counsel about effective classroom strategies.

George Fishman combined the skills he developed teaching language arts to middle school students for 35 years with his skill as a stained-glass craftsman to become a teacher again at the union’s Si Beagle Learning Center in Brooklyn after his retirement in 2008.

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.

Harvey Kudler, a wordsmith and Jeopardy-tested trivia buff, taught English at JHS 185 in Flushing, Queens, for more than 28 years and was a basketball and track coach at the school.