One of Arleen Taffel's inspirations as a kindergarten teacher was "Sesame Street." The TV program's use of props and hands-on activities influenced her approach in class, as she used silly songs and dances to make learning the basics fun.
Mrs. Taffel taught 40 years, first in Atlanta Public Schools. For the last 30, she was a fixture at Marietta's Mount Bethel Elementary, where she didn't just teach students. She enlightened other teachers, parents and administrators, too.
"It was 24-7 as far as those parents, teachers and kids," said Marty Taffel, her husband of 36 years. "When we'd be out in east Cobb, kids would run up and hug her. If a parent called, she was going to talk to them."
On Tuesday, the Mount Bethel staff hosted an event to remember a colleague who put kids first.
"With her, it was all about the kids," Principal Joan L. Johnson said. "When I first came here, she told me [about her illness], and that the children and the job were helping to keep her alive. She was phenomenal."
Arleen Taffel died on April 28 at Northside Hospital after an 11-year battle with ovarian cancer. She was 61. Her funeral was held April 30 at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs. Dressler's Jewish Funeral Care handled arrangements.
Mrs. Taffel was born in Atlanta, the daughter of Evelyn and Joe Gerson. Her late father was a noted philanthropist and three-term president of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
Mrs. Taffel graduated from Northside High and attended the University of Georgia, where she earned a bachelor's degree in early childhood education. For her master's, she studied the same subject at Georgia State University.
Mrs. Taffel's love of teaching and kids learning extended outside her own classroom. She celebrated or praised any child who "got it," or reached a milestone.
"She understood that every child had a different way of getting where they had to go," said her daughter, Alison Taffel of New York City. "She tried to keep the things that she knew worked in her classroom and that engaged the kids while following what the state needed to do. She took the challenge and ran with it. She met the actual needs of kids."
Mrs. Taffel showed a similar steadfastness when confronted with ovarian cancer, said her son, Myles Taffel of Chicago.
"When she was diagnosed, she was told she had a 40 percent chance of a five-year survival rate, and she lived for 11 years," he said. "It wasn't an easy road, but her belief was that the power of the mind could be a big benefit in fighting the disease."
In 2003, Mrs. Taffel was featured as a WXIA-TV "Class Act" winner for her devotion to learning. "No matter how down I am, I can come in here and they can lift me up," she said at the time.
This week, WXIA replayed the segment to recognize her passing.
"Doesn't that tell you something?" her husband said. "She was an icon."
Additional survivors include a sister, Shelley Gerson of Dunwoody; and her mother, Evelyn Gerson of Atlanta.
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