Carol Malsch and Pat Hannan have been close friends since they were first-grade classmates at Roosevelt School. They went on to become roommates at Montclair State college. They both majored in education, earning their Master’s degrees together and were hired as teachers in the Weehawken Board of Education together some 39 years ago. “I think our grandparents and uncles even knew each other,” Malsch said. “We have a very long history together and we’ve been very close friends for a long time.” “We’ve been friends for a very long time,” Hannan said. “It’s always nice to have friends you can depend upon and share experiences with. We’re still very close.” They’ve even acted in tandem as guidance counselors at Weehawken High School for the past decade or so. But the association as educators is coming to an end. Hannan has decided to retire and will step down officially in July. Her friends, colleagues and associates gave Hannan a fine going-away party at the Spirito Grill on Friday night, with some 80 people in attendance. It was a fine way of saying thanks to a woman who dedicated her life to the students of the school. “I don’t think I’m going to lose anything,” Hannan said. “I’ll always have the memories. I’m just entering a different stage of my life. I’ve gained a lot of things that will give me a foundation for the future. There are different phases in your life and after 39 years, I feel that this phase is complete and I’m ready to start another. I’ve gone through grade school and high school here and worked here, so obviously, I’ve spent a lot of time here. But it’s time to move on.” Malsch had nothing but praise for her long-time friend and colleague. “Pat has so many tremendous qualities,” Malsch said. “She’s tremendously honest, a sincere and hard working person. She’s always worked to support the students and the other teachers. She would do anything to make our lives better.” Malsch added, “And she’s just a wonderful human being. She has a great sense of humor and keeps us on our toes with her quick responses. She sees a comical side in everything and makes working with her very pleasurable.” Superintendent of Schools Kevin McLellan, who had Hannan as a guidance counselor, said that Hannan will be a big loss to the district. “Pat was always the utmost professional and the utmost in terms of caring about students,” McLellan said. “She always had genuine concern about students, not just educationally. She always had incredible integrity when it came to students, and that was second to none. It’s a true loss to the district and she will be sorely missed.” Malsch said that she worked very hard for the retirement dinner. “We tried to get as many people who worked with Pat and knew Pat,” Malsch said. “Members of the faculty, past and present, the Board of Education, the Mayor (Richard Turner) and his wife. She deserved to have a night in her honor, because she’s really dedicated her life to the students of Weehawken.” Above and beyond Malsch said that Hannan went above and beyond the call as a guidance counselor and as the director of guidance, which she has done at the school for the last 10 years. “On her own time, she would make trips to several colleges and universities to see what the schools were like, so she could recommend them to students,” Malsch said. “You knew that she was there, because she took the time to look over the entire facility. That was important to her, to see as many schools as possible.” “I just wanted to give students the best chance to explore every possibility,” Hannan said. “A lot of students don’t have a career in mind when they’re thinking about college.” There have been plenty of Weehawken students that have excelled on the collegiate level, thanks to Hannan’s guidance. “But I think that the teachers deserve more credit than I do,” Hannan said. “They’re the ones in the classrooms. I only tried to help steer the course. The teachers are the ones that lay the foundation.” “I’m just sorry to see her go,” Malsch said. “She’s everything you would want to be in a teacher and a guidance counselor.” Hannan said that she hasn’t truly thought about what she plans to do with her time now that she will be retired. She will continue to take care of her 97-year-old father, with whom she lives with in North Bergen. “I’d like to travel a little, but that will be hard with my father,” Hannan said. “I also love to read. I also like to help people, so I plan to do some volunteer work and give the opportunity to explore that avenue.” Hannan was asked if she had mixed emotions about retiring. “There’s always a tinge of sadness,” Hannan said. “I’ve done this for so many years and I’m so used to doing things with these people. So it will be a change for me. I guess I’ll miss dealing with the people. We had a good staff here, good students. That’s what I’ll miss most.”
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