Dr. Henry Zabierek

Dr. Henry Zabierek PHILADELPHIA, PA. Dr. Henry C. Zabierek, formely of Framingham, died of heart failure on Friday, Oct. 31, 2008, at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, Pa. Born June 8, 1924, in Chelmsford, he was the son of Walter and Helena Zabierek. He was a graduate of Chelmsford High School, Class of 1942, and was the class president. He was elected to the Chelmsford High School Hall of Fame in 1992. Dr. Zabierek received a full basketball scholarship to the University of Rhode Island, where he played forward for legendary coach Frank Keaney in a national championship game in 1946. He graduated with degrees in English and history in 1950. Dr. Zabierek served in the United States Army as a staff sergeant in the Pacific Arena (New Guinea, Philippines, 1942 to 1946), where he was wounded in action and later received the Purple Heart.Upon graduation, he began a 40-year career in education in Townsend as an English and history teacher. He married Marilyn Doyle in 1953; they divorced in 1981. Dr. Zabierek taught history and coached basketball and baseball at the Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii, from 1953 to 1958. His players from the 1958 teams honored him at their 40th reunion weekend in 1998, which he attended in Honolulu. Dr. Zabierek taught American European history and served as an administrator at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in Sudbury from 1958 to 1969. During this time (1961), he received his master's in education from Boston University. While retired from coaching, he kept his hand in the local scholastic sports scene as a football and basketball color analyst for radio station WKOX's (Framingham) broadcast of Bay State League games. In 19691970, he took a sabbatical to study for his doctorate degree in history at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He received a Doctor of Arts in History in 1981.Dr. Zabierek served the Brookline public schools as the director of social studies from 1970 to 1981. It was during his tenure in Brookline that he oversaw the development and implementation of Facing History & Ourselves, a comprehensive K-12 curriculum about the Holocaust and other episodes of genocide, which became a lifelong passion. Retired for the first time in 1989, he missed teaching and training other teachers so much that he returned to public education as the assistant superintendent of schools in Lebanon, N.H., for another 10 years. Spurred by the success of Facing History and Ourselves," Dr. Zabierek became an outspoken advocate for connecting the teaching of history in public schools to moral choices. His passion for giving students more than mere facts to prepare them to be informed citizens was the hallmark of his career. He wrote a number of articles for national publications and was a speaker at national conferences. Dr. Zabierek leaves four sons, Mark of Pittsburgh, Pa., John of Philadelphia, Pa., Peter of Philadelphia, Pa., and Paul of Fairfax, Calif.; and eight grandchildren. A memorial service will take place Friday, Nov.14, at 10 a.m., at St. Marys of the Assumption Church, 5 Linden Place, Brookline Village. A reception will immediately follow the memorial service in the community room of the church. Donations may be made in Dr. Zabiereks memory may be made to "Facing History And Ourselves," 16 Hurd Road, Brookline, MA 02445, or www.facinghistory.org.