In Memoriam

Cynthia Patterson, a longtime New York City public school teacher who was beloved by both her colleagues and her students, died on Nov. 14, 2024, at age 73. The cause was cancer...

"When I'm with Ms. Lockhart, it's always an adventure." Those words — spoken by a 5th-grader at PS 57 on Staten Island as part of a May 2011 article in the New York Teacher — sum up the life of Patricia Lockhart, who died of cancer on Nov. 1, 2024, at age...

Marian Thom, a dynamic force for Asian American causes and a founding member of the UFT Paraprofessionals Chapter, died on Sept. 3, 2024, 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, 2024, 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, 2024, 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...

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, 2024, after a fall due to heart failure...

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...

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, 2024 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...

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...