Obituary of Carol E. Szymanski

Carol E. Szymanski, 60, of Loris Road, a popular Teacher and Reading Specialist in the Beverly Public School System, died Friday evening at the Rosewood Nursing Center in Peabody following a courageous battle with cancer. Born in Salem, she was the daughter of the late John and Stacia (Lojko) Szymanski. She lived in Salem for a few years, then lived most of her life in Peabody. She attended Peabody schools, St. Joseph’ s Grammar School, and graduated from St. John’ s High School. She then graduated from Salem State College, where she eventually earned her Masters degree. She also attended classes at Harvard University and Tufts University, and Boston University. Ms. Szymanski dedicated almost 40 years of her life to the Teaching Profession, starting with 6th grade for four years in the Cove School in Beverly, but switched to 4th grade where she remained for the next 36 years. She also worked as a Reading Specialist at the Upton School for five years, then taught 4th grade from 1984 for the last 17 years in the Ayers Ryal Side School until retiring in 2001. She was a member of the Beverly Teacher’ s Association, Massachusetts Teacher’ s Association, National Education Association, Massachusetts Reading Association, and the North Shore branch of the International Reading Association. In recognition of her diligence and commitment, she was awarded the Roberta Forgione Award for Excellence in Reading from the North Shore Reading Council in 1983, and was nominated for Massachusetts Teacher of the Year three times in the 1990’ s. She was a member of Pi Lamda Theta Alpha Gamma Chapter a national Honor Society for Educators. She loved the students, who became her adopted children through the years, and she loved keeping with the current seasonal and holiday motif for decor in her classrooms. Besides all the students, both current and past, and her teaching colleagues, she is survived by her special companion for over 20 years, Frank Medina of Peabody; a very dear cousin, Mrs. Linda Mathews of Peabody, a devoted aunt, Alice Micalchuck of Peabody; an uncle, Waldren Lojko of Grafton, MA, and many cousins and friends. Her funeral will be held on Wednesday at 9 AM from the Conway facility at 12 Chestnut St. of the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, Peabody, followed by a Funeral Mass at 10 AM in ST. Adelaide’ s Church, Peabody. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. A visitation will be held on Tuesday from 3 to 8 PM. Burial will be in St. Mary’ s Cemetery, Salem. Memorial donations may be made to the Discalced Carmelite Nuns, North Shore Road, Danvers, MA 01923, or a charity of one’ s choice.