Retired Teacher Passes Away at 88
Edythe Bronstein, who spent 31 years in first and second grade classrooms at Nathan Hale and Flower Hill Elementary Schools in the Huntington School District, passed away June 16. The retired teacher was 88 and residing in Laguna Woods, California.
Ms. Bronstein enjoyed a remarkable life as both a teacher and actress. Born in Boston in November 1923, she earned a BS degree in education at Teacher's College in Boston in1941 and obtained a Master of Science degree in education at Hofstra University in 1956.
The former Huntington teacher taught first and second grade at Nathan Hale Elementary School on Bay Avenue from 1956 until the building closed in June 1973. She then moved to Flower Hill and taught the same two grades until her retirement in June 1987.
Besides working as an educator for more than three decades, Ms. Bronstein was also a longtime member of both the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Arts, a national union that represents more than 70,000 performers, journalists and other professional artists. AFTRA recently merged with SAG.
The devoted single mother of Dr. Mark Alan Bronstein and Dr. Scott W. Bronstein, Ms. Bronstein qualified for SAG membership doing radio commercials and earned an AFTRA card through her theater work. She could be found in various movies, such as Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas," Harold Ramis' "Analyze That" and Woody Allen's "Manhattan." She even had a recurring part as an Italian woman on HBO's "The Sopranos."
Known for the unconditional love she offered to others, Ms. Bronstein "sacrificed many personal and social activities to raise her two sons," wrote Mark Bronstein in an online tribute to his mother. "I will always remember her insistence that we have breakfast together every morning and dinner together every evening. These were times to discuss our plans for the day and to plan our strategies to complete our homework at night; and homework we did. Algebra and Latin were her fortes. Notice forte is Latin! She believed that through education my brother I could accomplish much in life. Through her guidance she reared two doctors; one a dermatologist and the other an ophthalmologist."
A gifted teacher, Ms. Bronstein preferred teaching first grade, according to her family. "'Why? I'd ask," said Mark Bronstein in his online tribute. "She would reply that she got the greatest satisfaction out of teaching children to read. 'What better way is there to open up the entire world to them,' [she said.] Former students would return to see her many years later just to thank her for the reading skills they developed under her tutelage."
After retiring from teaching, Ms. Bronstein decided to pursue an acting career when she was in her 60's and her sons were in college. She moved to New York City. Over the years she had performed in community theater and often earned the lead role. She went on to act in soap operas, television and film and appear in television commercials.
Services for Ms. Bronstein were held at Schlossberg Solomon Memorial Chapel, in Canton, outside of Boston, MA. She was interred alongside her parents at the Agudas Israel Cemetery in West Roxbury, MA
Remembrances in Ms. Bronstein's honor may be made to American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701.