‘Ras Room’ honors life of Rosemarie Abitana Skavron
By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
Over 25 years Robert Skavron has spent many hours in the all-purpose room of Sunnymead School.
When his wife, Rosemarie, taught there for all those years, she seemed to always be directing a school talent show or organizing a basket auction. It was a home away from home, he said.
Now, the room will forever hold an even more special place for him and his daughter, Faith. On Tuesday night, the elementary school renamed its all-purpose room as the Rosemarie Abitana Skavron Auditorium — or "Ras Room," as Principal Tammy Jenkins said it will be called — in honor of their friend and colleague.
More than 150 people came out at dinnertime to honor the legacy of Ms. Skavron, who passed away from cancer in May 2013 at age 47. They heard Ms. Jenkins praise Ms. Skavron’s dedication and celebrate her life, and applauded workers who donated time and materials to spruce up the room.
Daughter Faith, 9, and five close staff members unfurled ropes to reveal a painted sign above the stage. It showed the words "Rosemarie Abitana Skavron Room" with a horizontal rose lying under them.
Mr. Skavron said his wife mentored dozens of teachers-to-be and created a college scholarship program for Sunnymead graduates going on to college after high school.
"She loved kids, adored them year to year," he said. "To my amazement when we went out in public, she would remember every child from every year."
Ms. Jenkins said Ms. Skavron was a dedicated wife, teacher, mother, daughter, sister, friend and colleague, and had a "celebratory spirit."
"She was always laughing and loved to pull pranks, especially on unsuspecting staff. "She liked to have fun and was always fun to be around," she said.
"Rose did not just touch lives — she transformed lives," said Ms. Jenkins. "She did not just leave a thumb print on minds, but she left a handprint on all of our hearts."
A spruce-up effort was directed by the Home School Association under the direction of Natalie Genovese.
The maintenance staff refaced paneling on the stage wings and stained all of the wood, and Wayne DeVincentz donated time and talent to paint the railings on the stage.
But the biggest contribution came from Robert Zansitis, who donated the work — quoted at $6,000 to $7,000 by other companies — of several employees to paint the room a bright honeycomb color on Saturday. He even got Sherwin Williams to donate about 40 gallons of paint.
"I thought it was the right thing to do," said the contractor, who is based on Stryker Lane. "I’ve been in Hillsborough for 20 years and I wanted to give back to the community a little bit."
Mr. Skavron said, "My family and I are extremely appreciative of everybody’s hard work and everybody who donated time and materials,"
Mr. Zansitis and employee Kim Coleman came back Monday night to finish stenciling a Helen Keller quote on the back wall. It summarizes the feeling for Ms. Skavron and the spirit the room is intended to hold:
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."