Mildred Steier

She was born in Brooklyn on March 20, 1932 to Rose Greenberg Shapiro and Louis Shapiro.

Beloved mother to Richard, Ellen, and Wendy. Beloved mother-in-law to Gilda and Michael. Cherished grandmother to Lennox, Nicholas, Matthew, Bryan, and Andrew, and great-grandmother to Ryann, Roman, and Reign.

While raising her children, she returned to her studies at Brooklyn College and got her master’s degree in education. She became a full-time English teacher in 1965 and taught at James J. Reynolds Junior High School, New Utrecht High School, and Mark Twain Junior High School for the Gifted and Talented.

For much of her career, she sought to reach her students by combining poetry with the music and lyrics of artists including Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan. She also encouraged them to write and perform plays and make videos.

She became an adjunct instructor at Kingsborough Community College, teaching English, Public Speaking, and English as a Second Language for more than two decades, retiring at age 82.

She leaves behind her family, a host of cousins, and friends that became family, thousands of students she encouraged and nurtured, and a legacy of love.

A funeral service will be held at I.J. Morris Funeral Directors, located at 1700 Coney Island Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11230, on November 7, 2025, at 11:00 am sharp.

A committal service will take place at Wellwood Cemetery, 1500 Wellwood Ave, West Babylon, NY 11704, on November 7, 2025, ar 1:30 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Mildred’s name to Sparrow’s Nest of the Hudson Valley, 10 Town Center Boulevard, Hopewell Junction, New York 12533 or the Crown Heights Youth Collective, 113 Rogers Avenue., Brooklyn, NY 11216.