Patricia D. Hooven passed away on Aug. 23, 2024, in Chestertown, Md. A former student (Class of 1933) who was one of the first children (pictured, far left bottom row) to attend The Little School on its opening day in 1930, Patricia was also a beloved teacher at The Elisabeth Morrow School for more than five decades (1956–2010). Our community will remember her dedication to education and love for our school.
Lori Lowell, who has taught kindergarten at EMS since 1993, worked closely with Patricia, or Pat, as she knew her. As we celebrate Pat’s life and contributions to the school, Lori shares her memories from their more than a decade of work together.
According to Lori, Pat held her early years as a first-grade teacher at the school close to her heart. Each year, during her class study of the school’s history, she would bring a 3D model of The Little School to the classroom and share her cherished memories: the smell of freshly squeezed orange juice, playing outside no matter the weather, and the important task of polishing little metal animal figures that they played with (it was an “adult-like responsibility,” says Lori). Her stories captivated the children, especially her telling of the time a pet canary escaped and flew around the classroom for hours before finally returning to its cage.
EMS remained central to her life
Pat later became a teacher in the family-style after-school program EMS Friends. “This is where we first met and cared for children together for many years,” says Lori. “Pat upheld certain beloved traditions, such as her annual ride down the tunnel slide on the Brook Playground — even as an octogenarian!” Lowell recalls Pat keeping a leather-bound “Book of Records” to document the children’s amazing feats, like collecting many acorns, building tall block towers, and creating long domino runs. “She made homework fun by requesting a shoe from each student in exchange for a pencil, only returning the shoe once the homework and pencil were handed back,” recalls Lori. On days when the school was closed, Lori and Patricia would take EMS Friends on hikes in the Palisades and Ramapo Mountains or down to the Hudson River, where they would fish with a Cheerio on a string.
Beyond being colleagues, Lori felt their friendship was meant to be. “Shortly after meeting, we discovered that we had lived in the same garden apartment on Bliss Avenue in Tenafly and that as a child, I had even petted her horse, which was boarded at a stable near my home,” says Lori. They shared many memorable trips outside of school, including seeing The Gates exhibit in Central Park in 2005 and visiting the Jersey Shore, where “Pat laughed heartily after being tumbled by the waves.”
After Pat retired and moved to Maryland to be closer to her family, the two friends continued to stay in touch. “She always loved hearing the latest news and sharing a lifetime of memories from her time at The Elisabeth Morrow School,” says Lori. “I feel privileged to have been Pat’s colleague and friend.”
Patricia “Pat” Hooven’s friends, family, and former students will deeply miss her.
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