A mix of tears and laughter filled the Elsmere Elementary gymnasium as loved ones gathered last week in remembrance of former Principal Dorothy Whitney.
Whitney died in February after a long illness, but the memorial was held at the school months later on Tuesday, June 11, with a goal in mind. The gap in time allowed for former colleagues to raise enough money to establish a fund in Whitney’s name and to purchase a plaque that will hang in the building’s main hallway.
Tears fell at the beginning of the memorial as colleagues, friends and family watched a slideshow of Whitney’s time as a teacher and administrator in the Bethlehem Central School District. There were pictures from staff meetings, student concerts, school theme days and Whitney’s retirement celebration in 2003.
“Things were different then,” said retired teacher Cathy Schaefer. “There were more field trips, projects and activates, and fewer tests. There was less pressure and more freedom. There was less accountability and more trust. With Dorothy on board, we felt that freedom and trust.”
Whitney was principal of Elsmere Elementary from 1984 to 2003. She first worked in the district as a reading specialist in 1974, after receiving her master’s degree from St. Rose College and her teaching certificate from the University at Albany. She later advanced to part-time principal and a kindergarten teacher position at Clarksville, before moving on to Elsmere.
At the memorial, Whitney was remembered for always putting the needs of her students first, her “gracious demeanor,” “skillful leadership” and her guidance.
“Dorothy really supported us in everything we did,” said retired teacher Nancy Smith. “She knew the importance of working hard and helped every single one of us become our best.”
Whitney was also remembered for her sense of humor and always being amused by the doings of her teachers and students.
Tears turned to laughter as former teachers Carol Smith and Diane Kvan told stories of Whitney’s good nature.
Kvan recalled she took a personal day one year to go skiing, but booked her substitute for the wrong day. Kvan’s daughter was attending Elsmere at the time, and when the young girl was asked over the loud speaker where her mother was, she replied that her mother was skiing. When Kvan picked her daughter up from school, she asked who filled in as her substitute.
“I almost died,” said Kvan. “I went running into Dorothy’s office and she’s just sitting there with a smile on her face. I thought, well for the rest of my time here, Carol and I might be able to get into a lot of mischief.”
The pair also re-performed a skit “The Secret Interviews of the Spotlight,” which was a spoof article written by the staff and performed with the help of a PowerPoint presentation at Whitney’s retirement in 2003.
During the memorial, a check for $3,022 was presented in behalf of the Dorothy Whitney Fund to the Bethlehem Community Fund. Friend and colleague Shari Piper said it was important to Whitney that no student go without the supplies they needed to learn
Whitney’s daughter, Victoria Miller, and her son, Michael Whitney, were in attendance, along with some of her grandchildren. They thanked everyone who attended and said how happy their mother would be to be remembered.
“Mom had many places that she considered home, and Elsmere was ‘Home A,’” said Miller. “And us kids were OK with that, because we knew that she was here doing what she loved – helping children.”
Whitney’s colleagues ended the memorial with a song and said the longtime principal’s leadership truly made Elsmere School “a place to love and grow.”
To donate to the Dorothy Whitney Fund, a special endowment set up within the Bethlehem Community Fund, mail a check payable to the Bethlehem Community Fund to Elsmere School, 247 Delaware Avenue, Delmar NY 12054, attention Cathy Fredette.