Matthew Jensen

• Teacher

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.“His love of different cultures, religions and traditions permeated his way of reaching students,” La Riva said. “He cared deeply about them and was always adapting materials and sharing things he would learn about their cultures. You felt known with Mr. Jensen,” she said.

He was also generous and quirky, always baking something delicious to bring to school in honor of obscure holidays and saint’s days, La Riva said.

Matthew, 58, was killed by a hit-and-run driver on May 18, 2021, while walking home from a birthday party in his honor.

His family, his large circle of friends and his school community were devastated. Students drew pictures and wrote message for a memorial wall. Two hundred educators, students, friends, family and elected officials, including then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, held a march and vigil in Matthew’s memory on May 27, 2021 calling for safer streets.

Matthew was struck on McGuinness Boulevard, a dangerous city thoroughfare. Now his face adorns “Make McGuinness Safe” posters, a cause Matthew would have embraced, colleagues say.

“He was on the civics committee in our school, always pushing our work with culturally responsive-sustaining education” said Chapter Leader Allison Fazio, who relied on Matthew for help with union work. “He was always supportive of union goals and initiatives,” she said.

His engagement reached beyond school walls, Fazio said, and into the community. “He was involved in so many of the children’s lives outside of school, attending communions and other family events,” she recalled. “It didn’t stop at school hours.”

Matthew, a 20-year UFT member, served in the Peace Corps in Senegal and Armenia. He used summer vacations to explore new countries. “He was a history buff and knew so much about Brooklyn and the world,” said La Riva. “He was curious and a lifelong learner.”

Matthew earned a B.A. in anthropology from Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York, and a master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University. He was fluent in French and Wolof, spoke Norwegian and Armenian and was learning Spanish.

“Matt was the bright light in our lives and he continues to inspire us,” said paraprofessional Kim Helsing. “Matt’s imprint lives on at PS110. His soul is in our classrooms. He taught with every ounce of himself and was beyond passionate about civil rights and honoring all cultures.”

Matthew is survived by a sister, Pamela Jensen; brothers Mark Jensen (Dulcie) and Paul Jensen (David Walton); sister-in-law Lynne Costello; cousins John Ogren and Karen (Ogren) Mikkelson; goddaughters, Phoebe deRiu-Crowley and Katalina De Magalhaes; and his beloved cats, Olive and Katie.