In Memoriam

Anne Bush was a proud member of the UFT for over three decades, ending her long career as a teacher for gifted and talented kindergarten students at PS 153 in Queens...

Clint Winant was an elementary school teacher at PS 121 in the Bronx, where he taught for 25 years and served as a UFT representative...

John Gillen worked for many years as a history teacher at New Dorp HS in Staten Island until his retirement in 1977...

Raquel Casona was a UFT member for over 40 years. Originally from Cuba, Raquel began her career in education as a school aide and then became a Pupil Accounting Secretary at Julia Richman High School in Manhattan, where she worked until her retirement in...

Benjamina Hillery was a UFT member for over 35 years, most recently as a teacher at PS 304 in Brooklyn. Over the years, she also worked as a science coordinator and administrator and taught English language learners...

Suzanne Darrigrand spent 28 years as a dedicated teacher in various schools, most recently sharing her love of music with the students of PS 15 in the Bronx...

Jacqueline Diaz-Olive was a dedicated paraprofessional for District 12 in the Bronx for over 35 years...

Charles Sutera, who served as the UFT’s vice president for middle schools from 1987 to 1995, passed away on May 3...

Malcolm Sellinger was a UFT member for 61 years. He marched in 1960 with UFT founder Albert Shanker and was a staunch advocate for union rights and representation...

Phyllis Frishberg was a UFT member for 20 years, most recently as a school secretary in Brooklyn...

Rosemary Tunney was an educator and social worker at District 11 in the Bronx and supervised and mentored many of her colleagues over the span of her career from the 1980s to the 2000s...

Mary Lopez was a UFT member for 30 years, teaching English language learners in the Bronx...

Gina Silverstein began her teaching career at PS 153 in Maspeth, Queens, at the age of 19. She taught there for over 40 years before retiring but she continued to teach summer school, tutor privately and keep in touch with to the school community...

Olive Archer came to teaching as a second career and became an early childhood literacy expert in the Bronx...

Bernice Tompkins started her teaching career with assignments in Hillsborough and Palm Beach counties in Florida. Following her marriage to Clarence Tompkins in 1946, she moved to New York City and started teaching in New York in 1947...

Doris Iskaros began her teaching career over 30 years ago at a school in East New York, Brooklyn. She remained there for two years and then spent the next 20 years away from teaching...

Josephine Mifsud was a dedicated teacher who spoke of her teaching years and her former students long after retirement. Teaching was one of her greatest joys and passions in life...

Tore Haugeto was a teacher of social studies at New Dorp HS on Staten Island all his life. He was the teacher in charge of the Redesign Project of the new New Dorp HS...

Dorothy L. Johnson was a UFT member for over 35 years, most recently as an administrator in District 17 in Brooklyn...

Atiba Coerbell began his career at MS 2 in Brooklyn, where he inspired his students as an artist...

Peter Lerner was a UFT member for 55 years, most recently as a social studies teacher at Harry Truman HS in the Bronx...

Erin McLoughlin dedicated 30 years of giving back to the community and making an impact on others' lives for the better...

Heather Purcell was a UFT member for 30 years, working extensively with special needs children. She most recently taught at PS 38 in Queens...

Jacqueline Sills was a UFT member for 41 years, most recently as the dean at PS 721 in Brooklyn working with special needs students...