Albert Eisenhauer

Albert Eisenhauer, longtime fifth and sixth grade teacher in the Ballston Spa School District, followed his beloved wife, Helen, in death on August 5th. Mr. Eisenhauer was known for his unconventional teaching techniques that inspired his students to learn. Mr. Eisenhauer spent his early life growing up in Albany, a city he dearly loved. Living just a block from the Governor's Mansion, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was Governor of New York, he often recollected playing with his friends dangerously close to Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt's flower garden. To distract the boys and save her flowers, Mrs. Roosevelt would hurry out and invite them into the kitchen for a piece of chocolate cake and a glass of milk. It was a win/win situation that worked for both sides every time. When he was 14 years old and eager to begin serving his country, Mr. Eisenhauer took advantage of the fact that his mother was out of town and hurried right down to the Washington Avenue Armory, where he enlisted in Company C of the 10th Regiment of the 27th Division of the New York National Guard. Although the minimum age for enlistment was 18, some how the Guard was satisfied that he would qualify. By the time he was 15, he had made Corporal and become the Company Clerk. As such, he had the responsibility of carrying his company's guidon, an honor he cherished all his life. The job also involved typing perfect copies of the payroll pages for the whole company after their drill ended at 10 p.m. On a manual typewriter, with many perfect copies required, that job took most of the night. When he finished typing, he would curl up on the big rolltop desk next to his typewriter and sleep until it was time to change back into his civilian clothes and head off to resume his other life as a high school student. In WW II, Mr. Eisenhauer was trained in the Army Specialized Training Program as an engineer, and then a military doctor. He worked at an army hospital that was a first stop for acute care patients. Once they were stabilized, he often accompanied them as their caregiver on the trips to hospitals near their homes for recovery. In his post-war life, Mr. Eisenhauer had other callings but found his true passion and focus in life as a teacher. He was a true scholar, a constant reader and lifelong learner. He was interested in everything, and sharing whatever he learned. One friend accused him of "leaking knowledge wherever he went". He was an innovative and inspiring teacher to generations of fifth and sixth graders in Ballston Spa, many of whom still remember him and the years in his class with great fondness. He was ever an encourager of education and believer in people. He was ahead of his time in believing in the "natural superiority of women", encouraging and supporting girls to be all they wanted to be, in an era when society gave them limited options. Always eager lifelong learners, when he and Mrs. Eisenhauer retired from many years of teaching school, they both returned to college. They both attended Skidmore College as full-time students, writing all the papers and taking all the exams fall and spring semesters for 11 years. In those 11 summers, they were full-time summer students at Christ Church, Oxford University in England. Especially active in support of the Saratoga-Potsdam Chorus for many years, the Eisenhauers supported many local educational and cultural activities and enriched the lives of thousands of students and friends all their lives. Mr. Eisenhauer is survived by his loving extended family, his many friends in the Village he loved, and the thousands of students whose lives he encouraged, enriched and touched forever. Visitation will be held at the Armer Funeral Home Inc., 39 East High Street, in Ballston Spa, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 9. Funeral services will be held at Christ Episcopal Church on West High Street in Ballston Spa at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 10. Burial with military honors will follow at the Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are suggested to an organization supporting military veterans or a charity of personal choice. Online remembrances may be made at www.armerfuneralhome.com.