February 2016 Issue
January 27, 2016

Passings

Source: NYSUT United

Suzanne Berti | Jan. 1, 2016
North Syracuse Education Association

Suzanne Carroway Berti, 51, of Cicehttp://leadernet.aft.org/login.cfmro, died Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, following a battle with inflammatory breast cancer. She earned degrees from Liverpool High School and State University College at Geneseo and Oswego. An elementary and special education teacher at Roxboro Road Middle School, she was also an executive cabinet member of the North Syracuse Education Association, and a trustee to the Northern Onondaga Public Library. 

Arnold Cramer | Oct. 30, 2015
Smithtown Teachers Association

Arnold C., "Bud" Cramer of Smithtown, NY died Oct. 30, 2015 at the age of 81. Bud was a retired guidance counselor for the Smithtown School District and proud veteran of the U.S. Marines. He was the beloved husband of Barbara; loving father of Mark (Eileen) Cramer, and Janine (Bob) Becker; and dear grandfather of Owen, Devon and Tess.

Anita P. Drake | Aug. 9, 2015
Wappingers Congress of Teachers

Diane Enterlin | Nov. 2, 2015
Smithtown School Employees Association

Diane Enterlin, nee Schultheis of Smithtown, New York died Nov. 2, 2015 in her 68th year. She was the devoted mother of Eddie Enterlin III (Dana) and Erin McGee (Rich); cherished daughter of Warren and the late Margaret Schultheis; beloved sister of Richard Schultheis, Ellen Schultheis, Maura Schultheis, and brother-in-law Robert Farrell; loving grandmother of Skylar, Bryce, Ryan, and Kiera; and adored aunt of Christopher Farrell.

Janet I. Forney | Dec. 26, 2015
Retiree Council 8

Janet I. Forney, 88, of Bridgeport, died Saturday, Dec. 26, 2015, at her home. Born in Iowa, she grew up in Washington, D.C. She had lived in Ithaca where she was employed as a lab technician for Dr. James Baker at what is now known as the Baker Institute for Animal Health at Cornell University. She then moved to Bridgeport and she taught seventh grade science for many years, retiring in 1984 from the Chittenango School District. She then worked at On the Rise Bakery in Armory Square. 

Phyllis Swain Gottfried | April 26, 2015
Retiree Council 16

Phyllis Gottfried was born Sept. 17, 1926, in Chicago, and died April 26, 2015 in Walnut Creek, CA. Her parents were George and Loyola Swain. She moved to Davenport, IA at age 2 and attended local schools there. She was a graduate of Davenport High School in 1944. She received a B.A. in 1948 from Marycrest College of Davenport, IA, with a major in mathematics and a minor in art history, and she was elected to the Kappa Gamma Pi Honor Society. She earned her M.A. in mathematics education at Columbia University Teachers College in 1956.

In her career as a mathematics teacher, Phyllis taught at Tiskilwa, IL High School, U.S. Army Schools in Germany, in Bridgetown, Barbados as a Fulbright Teaching Scholar, Montclair, NJ High School, Rye-Neck, NY High School, and as mathematics department chair for the Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Westchester County NY.

Phyllis married Eugene Gottfried Aug. 16, 1957 in New York City. They had no children. She is survived by her husband; a sister, Mary Ellen Albrecht of Mesa, AZ; two nieces, one nephew, 3 grandnieces, and one great grandnephew.

The couple moved to Orinda, CA in 1981 when her husband accepted a position at the University of California, San Francisco.

Phyllis's interest in computers developed around 1965. She began teaching computer programming in the late 1960's to show her mathematics students that algebra has a practical use.

She leased a Hewlett Packard minicomputer and terminals well before the development of personal computers. Westchester County BOCES soon recruited her to extend her computer courses to other schools in the county. She developed a network of ~100 schools before leading the transition to small free-standing computers. During this time she joined the New York State Educational Data Systems group, becoming the first teacher to serve as its president.

She was an avid traveler. She and her husband traveled extensively around the world during their 58 years together. She also enjoyed photography, art, skiing, classical music and theatre.

Phyllis was a volunteer for the San Francisco Symphony and its Contra Costa County League, served as the League's president, and was co-chair of the Symphony's fund-raising wine program for 8 years. She also spent a year as chair of the San Francisco Performances volunteer program and many years as a docent and docent teacher at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, including a term as president of docents.

Barbara (Bobbie) Livingston | Dec. 25, 2015
United Federation of Teachers

Barbara (Bobbie) Livingston (nee Levine), age 81, Howard Beach, NY. Passed away peacefully on Dec. 25, 2015. Master teacher/dyslexia expert. Fun-loving mother of Julie and Daniel, dear mother-in-law to Peter and Sandra. Brother to Burton Levine; daughter of Rose (nee Meibach) and Irving Levine, both deceased. Devoted grandmother to Jacob and Benjamin Gordon, and Amanda and Carly Livingston. Bobbie changed the lives of children by figuring out the puzzle of dyslexia and teaching them to reach in District 24 and at PS 128, PS 182, PS 13, IS 61 among others.

Lucie McNulty | date unknown
Retiree Council 2

Dorothy Picken | Aug. 31, 2015
Yonkers Federation of Teachers

Michael Roussis | Nov. 15, 2015
Smithtown Teachers Assocation

Phyllis Selk | Jan. 1, 2016
United Federation of Teachers

Phyllis Gerard Selk, 89, proud long-time member of the United Federation of Teachers, passed away on Jan. 1, 2016 in the Bronx, after a brief illness.

After working for years as a graphic artist, she chose teaching as a second career and worked (mostly) at P.S. 33 in the Bronx for over 20 years, retiring in 1988.

She was an active member of Hadassah, and spent her later years traveling and volunteering at the Judaica Museum at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale (N.Y.).

She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Leonard (who taught music appreciation classes for UFT retirees); a daughter, Ronnie, of Long Island; a son, Michael (also a retired UFT member), of Westchester County, NY; three grandsons and a great-granddaughter.

Joseph A. Whalen | Dec. 17, 2015
Lockport Education Association

Joseph Andrew Whalen of Lockport died Dec. 17, 2015. He was the husband of Kathleen (Kay) Connors Whalen; father of Martha (Jerry) LaPoint, Kathleen (Richard) Granchelli, John (late Debbie) Whalen, Joseph (Anne) Whalen, Steve (Margaret) Whalen, Mary (Thomas) Glenn, Jennifer (Dominic) Govenettio and late Sheila Ellen Whalen; grandfather of 23 and great- grandfather of two; brother of Mary Kay Curtin, late John Whalen and Ellen Jane Hayden Hemmer; several nieces nephews. 

Submissions must include decedent's full name, union affiliation and date of death, and contact information for the person submitting the notice.

Fax notices to 518-213-6415; send to Andrew Watson, NYSUT United, 800 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, NY 12110-2455; or email awatson@nysutmail.org.