John Bligh
- Paraprofessional
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.
Gail, 56, died of liver cancer on Dec. 22, 2021.
A UFT member for 15 years, Gail worked with students with special needs in the elementary school at PS/IS 206, where colleagues remember her “contagious smile, warm welcoming presence, her laugh and, most important, her tremendous, caring, nonjudgmental heart,” said Chapter Leader Denise Mione. “Gail genuinely cared for not only her peers but for every single child in this school building, always lending an ear to listen and giving advice when needed.”
Gail was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad. She was a devoted member of the International Church of Christ for almost 30 years, a faith she inherited from her late mother, Glenda McDowell, and late grandmother, Ruby Keizer. Her “pride and joy,” said her brother, were her two teenage sons, Gregorio and Gabriel. As a single parent, she “worked tirelessly to provide a life for them,” said her brother.
A fundraiser organized by a close friend for the boys’ college fund has raised more than $25,000.
In addition to her sons, Gail is survived by a sister, four brothers, a niece, two nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and countless friends.
“Our family at PS 206 will forever remember our friend with nothing but love,” said Mione.
Contributions to the college fund for Gail’s children can be made at GoFundMe.
She was a wonderful woman and mother. I attended church with her and taught her kids when they were younger. My condolences to her family.