Norma Joseph Hart, a school psychologist for more than 20 years, was a UFT delegate and a founding member of the Hispanic Affairs and Capably Disabled committees.
Lisa Moore taught grades 3–5 for 28 years at PS 47 in the Bronx.
Dorothy Kreiselman was a teacher and chapter leader in District 20 in Brooklyn. Kreiselman was a union activist for many years, participating in demonstrations, rallies and phone banks.
Dr. Felix Carlos Bonilla died at his home in Puerto Rico on Jan. 23, 2016.
Dr. Bonilla served as a teacher in Newtown High School for 37 years with great selflessness and prestige. A free-spirited dreamer, Felix was always seen with a book in his pocket. His eternal longing to continue learning truly made him a man rich in knowledge, humility, wisdom and honor. Felix’s love, as a father and man, will forever be cherished by his life partner Evelyn and his five daughters Roselyn, Caroline, Jean, Amy and Jane.
Bruce Samuel Davidson, a former high school teacher, passed away peacefully on April 1, 2016 in New York City.
From a young age, Bruce was passionate about social justice and dedicated to helping the less fortunate.
Bruce was a beloved history teacher in Norwalk, Connecticut, at George Washington HS in Manhattan and then at John F. Kennedy HS in the Bronx for many years.
Bruce was a staunch union and civil rights activist. He served as a district strike captain during the Ocean Hill Brownsville action, visiting a number of schools in the Washington Heights area.
Louis Tagliani passed away peacefully at age 82 after a short battle with leukemia.
Lou served as teacher, assistant principal and principal at PS 23 in Richmondtown from 1964 to 1996. In those roles, he was revered by several generations of Staten Island families.
Paul Friedman, 80, died on Feb. 22 in Brooklyn. A former English teacher at New Utrecht HS in Brooklyn, Paul was a lover of jazz, literature and movies and believed in education through the arts. Paul was predeceased by his parents Moe and Bertha Friedman, his brother Howard and his sister Barbara Silverman. He is survived by his brother Bernard, sister-in-law Renee, nieces, nephews, and their families.
Ruth Harwayne, a founding member of the UFT, was a business teacher and a SPARK coordinator at Washington Irving HS in Manhattan.
She is survived by her husband of 71 years, Frank Harwayne, four children, five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
Thelma Ward, 98, a former teacher and guidance counselor, died on Oct. 30, 2015.
She was a counselor and teacher for more than 40 years at PS 61 in the Bronx before her retirement in 1982. She lived in Florida at the time of her death.
Sylvia Schaum, 87, died on Nov. 12, 2015. She was a 1st grade teacher in District 12 in the Bronx for 26 years before retiring in 1991.