Jack Abrams, who had a 57-year career as an educator in the Huntington school system, has died at age 89.
Huntington Intermediate School was renamed in his honor in 2008 and then became Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School in 2013.
In his tenure with the district, he served as elementary science coordinator and principal of Nathan Hale, Woodbury Avenue, Washington, Village Green, Toaz/Finley’s sixth grade school and Woodhull. He also founded the Huntington School Heritage Museum to preserve artifacts and share the history of the district.
“Jack is a true Huntington icon,” Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “He played a significant role in writing Huntington’s history and touched many lives during an illustrious career. His passion for teaching and all things Huntington is widely known and was always so incredibly appreciated.”
After serving in the US Army, Abrams graduated from New Paltz Teachers College with a B.S. in Education, and began his career at the Newbridge Road School in North Bellmore. He came to the Huntington district in 1955. He later added degrees from Hofstra and Columbia universities.
The district said he initiated the sixth-grade outdoor education program that annually sends hundreds of students trekking to Camp Greenkill for four days and three nights of hands-on educational activities. He spent a year teaching fifth grade in Great Britain with the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. And he spent a year as a third grade teacher in Northport while on a sabbatical from Huntington.
Abrams officially retired in 1987. But soon he established the district’s museum, which today is filled with more than 1,500 items. He retired from his part-time curator post in June 2012.
Information drawn from the HUFSD website.