Dr. William Goldstein

Dr. William Goldstein
The 'brilliant'-- as he was so often called-- Bill 'Doc' Goldstein recently passed away at age 93. He was a Trumbull Legend, and true character in every sense. A very charismatic, memorable, and popular High School Principal, an outstanding Superintendent of Schools, a gifted writer and lecturer, and an extremely proud Military Vet and Parachutist.

Bill was born in 1930 in Bremen, Germany, then in 1937 fled with his parents to the Boston area, specifically to Malden, MA. But the repercussions and long-lasting emotional scars of the Holocaust, especially regarding his relatives not fortunate enough to get out, shadowed him his entire life and was reflected in his extremely hawkish stance on... well, almost everything. But mainly all things Israel.

At Malden High, he was recognized as the "Class Genius" and then chose to enroll at Boston University to stay close to home, and graduated with an A.B. degree, Cum Laude.

He had joined ROTC during his last two years at BU, which paved the way for his service in the Army, where he rose to the rank of 1st Lieutenant during active duty, and then later to Captain in the Army Reserves.

He was a Parachutist in the 11th airborne division at Fort Benning, GA, and stationed at Ft. Campbell.

Afterwards, he received his master's and Ph.D. degrees in Education and Secondary School administration at UCONN while working as an undergraduate instructor.

He then taught English and Literature at Windham High School and E.O. Smith High School in CT.

In his early 30s, he became the Assistant Principal at Deep River Secondary School in CT, then accepted his first principalship at Mattlen Junior HS in Plainview, NY. He went on to become the Headmaster of Trumbull HS in 1969, overseeing the opening of the new Trumbull HS in 1972, and where even today maintains legendary status, according to the outpouring of posts on the Trumbull High Facebook pages. He became known as somewhat of a maverick, implementing among other things—flexible curricula like specialized and often esoteric English courses, the elimination of study halls, and an emphatic promotion of sports, music, and in general-- school spirit.

After his tenure at Trumbull HS, he became Headmaster of Weston HS while also teaching at Hunter College, Western CT State, and was a visiting professor at Wesleyan, while writing books, pamphlets, and articles about everything from achievement to budgets to evaluations to even a very insightful and moving piece about class reunions. His book "Successful School Communications" made the education Industry's Top Ten best sellers in 1977. He was a renowned lecturer at school conventions, conferences, and conducted symposiums, both nationally and internationally.

Later in his career, he became the Superintendent of Schools in Rocky Hill, CT, where he retired after nine years, then returned to Western CT State as a full professor.

In addition to his professional achievements, he was an obsessively passionate Mozart aficionado (even naming his puppy after him), and was an avid Opera devotee, and a big lifelong sports fan--from the Red Sox of his childhood to his student-athletes who held a very special place in this heart.

As one former Trumbull High football star, Tommy Signore, said, "I found out over 40 years later that Dr. Goldstein was a fan of mine. So a few years ago, his son Howie invited me over to say hello. As I sat there, he described how I played in several games and precisely what I did, and I had to hold back tears as I recalled the plays he described. Football is a game filled with emotion and adrenaline. And all the memories came rushing back. It was overwhelming. He LOVED Trumbull High Football, and he spoke to me from his heart that day, so many years later, and I will never forget it."

His dedication to education and his leadership in various roles left an ever-lasting impact on the education system and touched the lives of so many students and educators.

He is survived by his sons-- Howie, Wayne, and Danny, from his ex-wife Rose -- and the grandchildren. Plus the daughter he never had, Carol. He is predeceased by his partner, Connie.

"...Too often, like Gatsby, we tend to spend so much of our lives "in-between time", a foot in the past, a glance to the future. I would like to think that somehow your years at Trumbull High School provided a striking moment where, in a sense, time stood still, clocks froze, past and future blended, but only to heighten the bitter-sweet things one lives through at that time, in that place..."

William Goldstein
Trumbull HS Yearbook, 1973

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