District saddened by the death

of longtime board member Patrick Amodeo

ALBANY, N.Y. (February 20, 2012) -- The City School District of Albany is saddened by the death Saturday of longtime Board of Education member Patrick Amodeo Sr., who served the district and community as a board member longer than any other individual. Amodeo was 88.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Parish of Mater Christi, 35 Hurst Ave., off of New Scotland Avenue in Albany. Friends and relatives are invited to attend. There will be no calling hours. Interment will follow at Our Lady of Angels Cemetery. You can read more about Amodeo’s life on the Times Union website.

“We are grateful for the decades of service and leadership that Pat Amodeo gave to this school district and this community,” said Board President Daniel Egan. “He will always be remembered for his commitment to our students and his many, many years of advocacy for public education in Albany.”

Amodeo was a board member for 22 years, the longest tenure ever on the board. He also served on on the advisory board for Albany High’s Abrookin Vocational-Technical Center.

"Mr. Amodeo's death is a great loss for our community," said Superintendent Raymond Colucciello, Ed.D. "His service to this school district and especially to the young people of this community will never be forgotten. This is a sad time for all of us, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Amodeo family."

Barbara Gaffuri, who resigned from the board last summer after 13 years, served with Amodeo during her first term and his last, from 1998-2002. She remembered his unwavering support for the city’s young people.

“While Pat had to make many difficult decisions while on the board, I always knew his heart was in the right place, for the kids, and I always respected him greatly,” Gaffuri said.

The mission of the City School District of Albany is to educate and nurture all students to be responsible citizens, critical thinkers and lifelong learners to successfully compete in the global community by providing an academically rigorous and safe environment in partnership with parents, students and the community. The district serves about 8,700 students in 15 elementary, middle and high schools. In addition to neighborhood schools, the district includes several magnet schools and programs, as well as other innovative academic opportunities for students, including four themed academies at Albany High School.