For those who may not know, we were deeply saddened last year by the loss of our Executive Secretary, Muriel Becker. She died in February after a long and courageous battle with cancer.    At her request, no services were held.  

Over the years, Muriel Becker had become the guiding spirit and the voice of the New Jersey Council of Teachers of English. She held an amazing variety of positions in our organization, some successively and many simultaneously. As president for three terms, long-time coordinator of the annual student writing contest, editor or co-editor of FOCUS, grants writer, behind-the-scenes producer of our yearly STARS conference, and Executive Secretary/Treasurer/Membership Chair, she was a key person in almost every achievement of NJCTE.

Most important, in all of her various roles, Muriel  encouraged and inspired generations of students, future teachers and colleagues, consistently maintaining the highest standards of excellence for our profession. During her last year, despite ill health, she continued to provide an unmatchable model of commitment for all of us.

We miss her deeply—her humor, her energy, her enthusiasm—but her legacy will be with us always.

Marcia Holtzman

From the NJCTE Executive Board