John Bligh
- Teacher
- Curtis HS, Staten Island
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.
“Ed was one of the first to arrive in the school building every morning,“ said Chapter Leader John Pillarella. He was also the first to volunteer to cover a class in any emergency, Pillarella said. “He was incredibly considerate; a guy who would do anything to help his fellow teachers.”
Edward, 46, died of coronavirus on April 24.
He began his teaching career at John Jay HS in Park Slope, Brooklyn, before transferring to Curtis HS, where he taught for 19 of his 23 years as an educator.
Edward had an undergraduate degree in history and two master’s degrees in education, all from the College of Staten Island. His particular areas of interest were World War II and the Great Depression.
His other passions included anything related to Star Wars or to DC and Marvel comics, and he eagerly awaited each upcoming superhero movie. He shared that enthusiasm with students, friends and family.
Eighteen months ago, a new passion entered his life with the birth of his daughter, Ella Rose. “Everyone in the building could see how happy he was when he married Stefanie and when his daughter, Ella Rose, was born,” said Pillarella. “His happiness was important to all of us,” Pillarella said.
“Ed was one of the nicest human beings you could ever meet. He never raised his voice, got mad or spoke negatively about anyone,” said his brother-in-law, Peter DeFeo. “Whether it was watching Elmo with his daughter, Ella, dancing to songs from “Footloose,” or swimming in the pool, Ed’s smile was the brightest when he was with his girls,” said DeFeo.
Pillarella said his colleague “will be missed by all of his brothers and sisters in the Curtis UFT Chapter.”
In addition to his wife and their young daughter, Edward is survived by his parents, Pat and Edward; his sister, Patty Semens; and four nieces.
Contributions may be made to his family at:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/stephanie-and-ella
Ed was my student teacher. He was determined to be a great teacher . Early on he showed he had the gift to interact with his students in a very natural way. Ill always think fondly of Ed. My deepest condolences to his family .
My deepest sympathy and condolences to Stefanie and her family.
Dear Stephanie and Ella, I pray that you know Ed will always be with you, and guiding you along your life’s journey. May Ed Rest in Peace. All my love, Christine
May his soul rest in peace!
Ed was so passionate about his robotics teams each year at the FLL Robotics competitions! He was always so kind, sweet, bubbly and full of laughter! He would also make time to visit our PS 57 Team at each event to share complements about all their accomplishments! My love goes out to his wife and my colleague Stefanie and of course baby Ella! I pray for their comfort at this difficult time!
My heart is saddened by the loss of this wonderful young man. May his family and friends find solace and peace in the amazing memories of their time together. They will encounter them every day as their lives move forward. Each day is a blessing together but it doesn’t stop there.
ED always brought a smile to my face. He brought his lessons to life and enchanted the students into learning I was lucky enough to be in his class alongside my students quite often. Condolences to his family. May you rest in the sweetest peace
So sad to hear this. Was always a class I looked forward to. He was so cool toward his students even if we gave him a hard time. Sending my condolences to all his family and friends. Rest easy Mr. LaTourette, you’ll be missed.
re-writing because it didn’t post correctly:
Ed was the greatest friend you could ever ask for – truly irreplaceable. When i joined the Curtis staff in 2005, we quickly became great friends.
He always confided in me and knew i could always count on him in return. He was a true gentleman with a big heart, someone you could always trust.
We shared many great memories together including both of our weddings, his 40th birthday and celebrating the birth of our daughters. He truly loved his family – always talking about them – he proudly showed me videos of Ella all the time.
He waited for me and Anna for every single faculty meeting, he was the first person i saw every day when i came up to the 3rd floor, would always drive me to my car because he would always get the best spots as we called them the “ Latourette spots”. And for 15 years he joked with me that the end was over the minute he entered the building and i said it was not until we left. He never let me win … i never let him win either. But today. Today you can win. Curtis will never be the same without you. Love you always.
Ed was the greatest friend you could ever ask for – truly irreplaceable. When i joined the Curtis staff in 2005, we quickly became great friends.
He always confided in me and knew i could always count on him in return. He was a true gentleman with a big heart, someone you could always trust.
We shared many great memories together including both of our weddings, his 40th birthday and celebrating the birth of our daughters. He truly loved his family – always talking about them – he proudly showed me videos of Ella all the time.
He waited for me and Anna for every single faculty meeting, he was the first person i saw every day when i came up to the 3rd floor, would always drive Ed was the greatest friend you could ever ask for – truly irreplaceable. When i joined the Curtis staff in 2005, we quickly became great friends.
He always confided in me and knew i could always count on him in return. He was a true gentleman with a big heart, someone you could always trust.
We shared many great memories together including both of our weddings, his 40th birthday and celebrating the birth of our daughters. He truly loved his family – always talking about them – he proudly showed me videos of Ella all the time.
He waited for me and Anna for every single faculty meeting, he was the first person i saw every day when i came up to the 3rd floor, would always drive me to my car because he would always get the best spots as we called them the “ Latourette spots”. And for 15 years he joked with me that the end was over the minute he entered the building and i said it was not until we left. He never let me win … i never let him win either. But today. Today you can win. Curtis will never be the same without you. Love you always.
me to my car because he would always get the best spots as we called them the “ Latourette spots”. And for 15 years he joked with me that the end was over the minute he entered the building and i said it was not until we left. He never let me win … i never let him win either. But today. Today you can win. Curtis will never be the same without you. Love you always.
As a student who knew Ed as a teacher; I adored him. I looked up to him. He always supported us on the robotics team and always visited when he could. He was the sweetest teacher, I wish I had him as my teacher back in high school. He was an amazing teacher and the sweetest friend. May he rest in peace.
Ed was always a gentleman with the sweetest disposition! I will always remember him fondly .
Ed was a wonderful man. He was always in a good mood, he acknowledged me in the hall, made everyone laugh. He was one in a million. My condolences to his family. I was honored to have known him.
Ed was a true gentleman . Generous to a fault, always the first to offer help, kind, someone you could depend on. Even tempered with a warm , friendly smile, he was the official greeter in 315 when it served as a teacher’s lounge. The 13 years we spent together are cherished memories. Deepest condolences to Stephanie and Ella Rose and to the entire Latourette family. May he rest in eternal peace. He will be sorely missed.
Ed was a very kind, positive guy who put others at ease and had a great spirit. Students and teachers will miss the joy that he brought to Curtis. May he rest in eternal peace.
I’ll miss you Eddie. My heartfelt condolences to your family. Almost 20 years and I never heard you yell. That’s a rare trait for a teacher.
It’s so heartbreaking. Ed was, as John said, the nicest guy. Friendly, always smiling and with a good word for everyone, he was generous as well, sponsoring a student who couldn’t afford her prom.
Ed, you will be missed.
So saddened by this. LaTourette was one of the good guys!! Always so very nice to everyone. My love and prayers to Ed’s family and my Curtis friends… may choirs of Angels lead him in to Paradise, and may he rest in the sweetest Peace.
So sorry to hear of Ed’s passing. My sincere condolences to Ed’s family and the Curtis HS community. ❤️