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Lynbrook Board of Education Trustee Alicemarie Bresnihan dies at 85

Served on Lynbrook school board for 45 years

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Whenever there was an important school event or a chance to advocate for students, Alicemarie Bresnihan was there.

Bresnihan died on Monday of cancer at age 85. Many of her fellow Board of Education trustees and school officials said they would remember her for her dedication to education and her passion for all things Lynbrook.

“There has been no greater supporter of the students and staff of the Lynbrook Public Schools than Alice,” Superintendent Dr. Melissa Burak said in a statement. “For 45 years, she has been a trusted school board member who exemplified how a board member champions the efforts of all in the district. Her attendance at every single district event was astonishing.”

Board President William Belmont said he knew Bresnihan for most of his life, dating back to when he was a student in Lynbrook. He got to know her on a professional level on the board.

“She is a shining example of what public service is all about,” Belmont said. “Her calm demeanor and diligent efforts were always appreciated by the board. On a personal note, Alice exemplifies what’s great about Lynbrook. Someone who lived here, raised her kids here and has always worked hard to make Lynbrook a better place.”

Belmont added that Bresnihan maintained strong relationships with school board organizations, which helped the members gain insightful perspectives on what was being done on other school boards throughout the state. He noted that he appreciated her guidance and friendship, and that she would be missed.

Bresnihan moved to Lynbrook with her husband, John, in 1959, and was first elected to the school board in 1975. John predeceased her in 2017. All nine of Alicemarie and John’s children graduated from Lynbrook High School, and the couple had at least one child enrolled in the district every year from 1960 to 1987. They had 21 grandchildren, and Bresnihan never lost her passion for education or her school spirit.

She earned a degree in biological science from SUNY Old Westbury and worked as a probation officer for Nassau County for 20 years until her retirement in 2003.

During her time on the board, Bresnihan served as board president, and lobbied in Albany and Washington, D.C. on behalf of the Lynbrook district as a member of the school board’s Audit and Policy committees. She also pressed state lawmakers to reduce the use of standardized tests.

Board Secretary Robert Paskoff recalled traveling statewide and nationally to board conferences with Bresnihan, and called her a “trooper.”

“She would always keep up with everybody,” he recounted, “especially in the bigger convention centers. She would tire me out frequently. Her energy was totally devoted to the children of the district. Alice gave more to the community of Lynbrook than anybody else in the history of the Lynbrook schools and the Lynbrook community in general. She was tireless.”

Honors that Bresnihan received included an award from the Lynbrook Council of PTAs; an award for Academic Excellence and College Service from SUNY Old Westbury; the Silver Bullet Award from the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association; Woman and Citizen of the Year from Lynbrook village officials and many others.

“Her board work was preceded by her championing at the PTA level, where she began her support as a parent of nine children who all attended the Lynbrook Public Schools,” Burak said. “She was truly an advocate of public education and role model for all educators and will be missed. We extend our sincere sympathies to Alice’s family and friends. Her legacy and impact on Lynbrook will continue for years to come.”

 

Melissa Koenig contributed to this story.