Mr. Phil Patire’s passing is truly heartbreaking. It seems like just yesterday that Mr. Patire was here with us, offering a listening ear, guiding us with words of wisdom, and sharing his love for education, sports, nature, and life. Some saw Mr. Patire as an Educational Consultant. Others saw him as the Executive Director of the iSupport Education Foundation. Still, others saw Mr. Patire as a School Leader, as our Santa Phil, as a sports enthusiast, as a New York Yankees and Rangers fan, as a fisherman, and as a friend. Mr. Patire served in nearly every capacity imaginable in the world of education over the course of over 50 years. Before becoming an Educational Consultant at iLearn, Mr. Patire worked for 31 years for the Lodi Board of Education. He was also a member of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), Regional Director of State of the Art Security, and a member of Crisis De-escalation Training (CDT).
While Mr. Patire achieved so much in his own life, he always stayed humble and believed in recognizing those around him more than anything else. iLearn’s Teacher-of-the-Year meant a lot to Mr. Patire, and he helped grow it from a small gathering on each campus to an incredible organization-wide process and celebration. Mr. Patire always celebrated us, and as we mourn over his loss, it’s also time we celebrate him. We have so many great memories together, so many lessons learned, and so much still to do, as we will always see inspiration for a caring and fighting spirit in his name.
Rest in Peace our friend, knowing you made us all stronger for having known you. Patire Strong, forever.
