Obituary of Gwendolyn Y. McLoud

Gwendolyn Yvonne Fox McLoud, of Hackensack, passed away peacefully at her home, surrounded by her loving family and friends, on Sunday, May 31, 2015, at the age of 91 years. Her passions were teaching, music and serving others. An elementary school music teacher for many years, she unofficially adopted and mothered many children. Later, she continued to interact with students as a volunteer for UNICEF. After that ended, she indulged her love of music and performing by serving as the musical director of the SESCIL Singers. Gwen was born in Cincinnati in 1924, but grew up in St. Louis. Her father, Richard K. Fox, was a high school math teacher while her mother, Kathryn, was a homemaker. Gwen had two younger brothers, Richard and Thomas. A talented piano player, she attended Oberlin College for a year after graduating from Sumner High School in 1942. She later finished her college education in Chicago. She also married and became an elementary school teacher. Around 1957, newly divorced, Gwen went to New York to visit a college friend. There, she met Raiford McLoud at a party and was instantly smitten. She moved to New York, began teaching at PS 81 in Harlem and married Ray in 1959. That same year, Gwen and her students marched from PS 81 to their new school building: the Hans Christian Anderson Elementary School, or PS 144. Gwen taught there for another 35 years, primarily as a music teacher. Gwen wanted her students to be exposed to musical theater and began mounting a production at the school every year. Bye Bye Birdie, Oklahoma, Peter Pan, South Pacific, Guys and Dolls, My Fair Lady and Brigadoon were among the many shows her students performed in the ensuing years. She also took her students to actual Broadway productions. Years later, former students would remember seeing Ossie Davis in Purlie Victorious or the time that Pearl Bailey, in Hello Dolly, gave a shout out to the students of PS 144 in the audience. While Gwen had no children of her own, she "mothered" many of students, especially those with a difficult home life. One of the first was Arthur Polite, who was in her second grade class in 1948. He said that Gwen was a "continuing and strong influence" and that she was "hard, fair and didn't take any nonsense. She kept us on the straight and narrow." She kept in touch with many of them long after they were in her classroom, providing encouragement and even financial support as they graduated from high school and attended college. She was there as well at their weddings and other momentous occasions. Gwen's mothering, so to speak, wasn't limited to former students. She met Azeb Samuel in the 1970s when she came to the United States from Ethiopia to attend college. From that point on, Azeb was Gwen's daughter. Gwen became a UNICEF volunteer after retiring from teaching in 1989. A few years in, she and Carol Shuttleworth created a speakers bureau in which UNICEF volunteers spoke at school assemblies. Carol recalled that Gwen loved visiting the schools and that many a principal called afterward to rave about Gwen. "She was extraordinary," Shuttleworth said. "She knew how to handle the children. There was no one else like her." Never content to be idle, Gwen later found a new passion and purpose, working with the SESCIL Singers. Singer Brenda Carmichael said the group, which was several years old at that time, flourished under Gwen's leadership. Gwen was the group's musical director and pianist and organized performances at nursing homes, senior living centers and more. She also took "her babies," as she liked to call the 20+ singers, to local performances in Bergen County as well as Broadway productions. In addition, Gwen served on the board of trustees for the Southeast Senior Center for Independent Living, a regional center serving Bergen County and was active in her church, First Presbyterian Church of Englewood. Gwen was a generous and giving person. She helped many a friend, supporting them through illnesses, helping them find and move into assisted living and even helping to manage their personal and financial affairs. But above all, she will be remembered by family members and friends as a loving, passionate, relentless, plain-spoken and strong-willed person, one who loved life and lived it to the fullest. As one friend noted, "Everyone should have a Gwen in their life." The family will receive friends on Thursday from 2 – 4 and 7 – 9 PM. The funeral service will be on Friday, June 5th, at 1:00 PM, at the First Presbyterian Church of Englewood, 150 East Palisade Avenue, Englewood, with Reverend Richard S. Hong officiating. Burial will be on Monday at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio.