Genoveffa Via Cava spent 45 years working as a special education teacher in Dumont, New Jersey. She was known as a simple woman who cut back on promotions and lived on minimal expenses. She never went on vacation and wore the same rotation of clothes. She had no close relatives.
But Genevieve loved working with her students, and that’s where she really shined.
Even after she retired in 1990, Genevieve returned to the school regularly to check on lessons, say hello to the kids, and chat with the superintendent. In October 2011, Genevieve passed away at the age of 88.
A few weeks after his death, school principals received a check for a million dollars from Genevieve’s real estate attorney. “Real estate lawyer?” They thought. “We didn’t even know he had property!”
The school superintendent, Emanuele Triggiano, describes the gift of via Cava as “a blessing”. During his frequent visits, Via Cava had spoken with Triggiano about his passion for his students and how much he loved working at Dumont.
“One day he told me that he had accumulated a significant amount of money and was planning to donate it,” said Triggiano, who was grateful but didn’t think much of it at the time.
Beginning next spring with high school graduates, scholarships will be available to one or more special education students who intend to continue their education. The amount will depend on the amount of interest generated by the one million dollar donation, with a maximum amount of $25,000 per student.
It was then that the shocking truth and big picture emerged. As it turned out, her no-nonsense, modest-living former teacher had been keeping a giant secret not only from the school district but also from those who knew and loved her most.
Richard Jablonski, a close friend and executor of Via Cava, said his family had a tough time during the Great Depression, so he learned to bail out and salvage.
“She used to walk into my store and go 70 percent off and that’s all she’d buy,” Jablonski recalled. He said Via Cava didn’t even allow the luxury of headphones he needed. He helped Via Cava run errands and remembered all the times they had run into former students who wanted to stop and join their old teacher.
Jablonski said Via Cava always talked about how much she loved her job. Now, he said, “his name will be remembered forever, and rightly so.”
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.