Arthur loved the theatre, and whenever I came to NYC we went off together to a play. He had a great sense of humour and was a wonderful friend. lol, Gillian xoxox

Hi Mr.Whitman, 
Hopefully you're reading this somewhere, months has passed and you're not with us. The first day of this school year, I was impatient to see who would be my English and I realized that it sadly wouldn't be you. In 9th grade, I was eager to have you as a teacher and I was so excited to start my first high school year with the teacher that my brother praised. He would talk about you in such admiration and I was ready for my turn,  to have you as an English teacher. Last year, I was ready to work hard and to make you proud and sadly it didn't come up to that the first semester. I tried so hard the second semester to improve and it worked but you weren't here, to witness the last few months of the school year and to comment about it. This year I'm trying my best to make you proud and I hope you can see it somewhere Mr.Whitman. I miss you, and I'm still here thinking about you,
Lina

How cow. Just now learning the sad news. Too much to say. Arthur made an indelible mark on my life, and I am so glad we kept in touch periodically over the decades. 

The humor, the intelligence, the gossip, the loyalty, the cocktails, the snark, and the passion for molding an improving young lives. That was my friend and teacher, a true original. Under that gruff and cynical exterior was the ultimate idealist and giver.

Like so many others, I credit Arthur with my lifelong love of reading, which started of course with To Kill a Mockingbird. I think of him every time I attend a Broadway show, which is often because of Arthur.

I know every lyric in A Chorus Line because of him and am SO tempted to quote from A Chorus Line’s “What I did For Love.” But Arthur would wretch at the schmaltz, so I won't.

Thank you, old friend. Hope you’re now catching up with Peter Allen.

Adam Smith, Town ’79

The best of old school, Mr Whitman had the gravitas of a true literary professor.  He inspired reverence of books and a love of reading. He made stories and plays come alive. His teaching did not stop at the classroom door. Devoting his personal time to taking his students to numerous plays and performances. My last interaction with him was but a few weeks ago as he bounced off the bus from Brooklyn at 11.15 at night, where he had taken my 7th grade daughter and her classmates to a performance of Julius Caesar. We are heartbroken to have had our time shared with him cut short but we are deeply grateful for the love of learning he lavished on all the students.
Farewell Mr Whitman or in the words of  Shakespeare:
"goodnight, sweet prince; and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest"

Dear Mr. Whitman,

We all loved having you as a teacher because you were joyful, nice to us and make us feel special. We really enjoyed reading Pigman with you in class. We loved all the plays that you took us too,  but sadly you weren’t there to see your favorite play “To Kill A Mockingbird” with us since you were busy. We loved that at the start of class you would make us say “Good morning Mr. Whitman!” and if it was not loud enough or in unisson you would make us repeat it. You always made learning fun for example when we learnt the FANBOYS and when we did the act of Julius Caesar in the hallway and Tadeo got stabbed over and over again. Our point is that we miss you and that you have been the best English teacher in the world. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us and you will be in our hearts forever. 

Sincerely,

Paul, Tadeo and Roman

The best of old school, Mr Whitman had the gravitas of a true literary professor.  He inspired reverence of books and a love of reading. He made stories and plays come alive. His teaching did not stop at the classroom door. Devoting his personal time to taking his students to numerous plays and performances. My last interaction with him was but a few weeks ago as he bounced off the bus from Brooklyn at 11.15 at night, where he had taken my 7th grade daughter and her classmates to a performance of Julius Caesar. We are heartbroken to have had our time shared with him cut short but we are deeply grateful for the love of learning he lavished on all the students.
Farewell Mr Whitman or in the words of the Shakespeare:
Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.


Dear Mr. Whitman,

Words can not express how saddened I am to hear of your passing. I am so thankful to have met you and had you as a teacher. Thank you for not only being a mentor, but also a friend. I will miss visiting your little corner on the second floor, having you guess what lunch my mom prepared for me, your really good hugs, and your eye rolls/chuckle at my run-on sentences. Thank you for always checking up on my family, for keeping me and my brother in check at school, and for staying in contact with me after I left the Lycée. I will be forever grateful for everything that you have taught me. 

Rest in peace Mr. Whitman,
My deepest condolences to Mr. Whitman’s family,

Adenike 

As an Alumni of the LFNY, I was shocked to receive the sad news. I had no idea the famous Arthur Whitman worked at my alma mater. I met Arthur when I was a French teacher at Village Community School in 1996.  He became my mentor as a first year teacher, and taught me how to survive Middle School.  I owe him great skills and passion as an educator. He once gave me a book that I still treasure "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers.  Thank you Arthur for your loving support and sweet hugs.

After my husband, Eric, Arthur’s brother, passed away, Arthur became an integral part of our family. He sat at the head of our Thanksgiving table and was deeply loved by Eric’s grandchildren and children. He became my soulmate as we both shared a love for the performing arts.  Arthur was like a brother to me and will be so missed by all of the Whitman/Ordower families. 

Nobody should go down into the darkness with too few words, as Harlan Ellison once said. And so, a few words about Arthur Whitman.

Arthur was, first and foremost, a teacher, and he was born to the profession. Hundreds of former students continued to turn to him for counsel long after they left his classroom. And they were wise to do so, because counsel was one of Arthur’s special gifts.

Arthur gave advice that was never naïve but always hopeful, never sugarcoated but always tender. He spoke truth to power in the service of his students, and he always did so with respect. He was at once professional and caring, opinionated and open-minded, funny and profoundly wise. 

The world is a little colder, a little more humorless, a little less compassionate tonight because Arthur Whitman is no longer with us. We shall not look upon his like again.

(continuation of previous message) 
On Thursday, the day Arthur passed away, groups of students came to stand in his work area, just looking at his desk and trying to comprehend what happened. Arthur would have been very touched to know he meant SO much to so many. And he did. He was a gentle soul.

For one of his significant birthdays, he held a coctail/dinner at Pig Heaven on the upper east side.  I told him "Pig Heaven? Really?"  As an observant jew, I thought "what will people think if they see me go into Pig Heaven? But go inside I did because it was Arthur and because he had such a large heart.

He loved his family and went to a bat mitzvah and a play recital this year- I remember him telling me about both and how proud he was of his niece(s)!  
He also told me how he enjoyed   Kinky Boots and was very upset that because of his health, he missed the last performance. He was also great at suggesting plays I should see (and those not to bother with).  He was always thoughtful when he spoke. I learned very quickly to clamp my mouth shut and avoid my instinct to finish his sentences because he knew exactly what he wanted to say and the way he wanted to say it. He was a New Yorker but on a slower escalator. You knew that when he spoke,, he meant every work he said.

What a guy.

First I want to share with you most of the message about Arthur's passing  from the Head of School:

"Dear community of the Lycée Français de New York,
 
In the past day, we have received an outpouring of tributes to Arthur Whitman, who touched many lives and generations of students, colleagues and parents. We know that many more will come, and thank you for sharing such beautiful words of support with us. They speak to the extraordinary teacher, colleague and friend he was and to how important he has been to the entire Lycée community in his 14 years here.

Many of you have been asking about memorial services for Arthur. Mr. Whitman's loved ones held private funeral services for him in New York City this morning at Riverside Chapel. If you would like to leave messages for his family, you can certainly share them with us or post them directly to this site.

On Wednesday, May 29th at 3:10 pm, we invite our immediate community of faculty, teachers, staff, as well as students and families who would like to join us, for a gathering in the auditorium of the Lycée to share remembrances of him. Classes will end at 3:05pm for all Secondary students on that day. We know that with baccalaureate exams in progress and internships for our tenth graders taking place next week, it may not be possible for everyone to come on Wednesday.

Please know that a larger memorial service and celebration of Arthur's life that will be open to the entire Lycée community and beyond is being planned for the coming weeks. We will let you know details and timing of this moment as soon as they have been set.
 
With my deepest thanks again to you all,"

Second, I had the pleasure of knowing Arthur since he arrived at the Lycee. I   know he would have been very surprised and certainly tickled pink by the outpouring of affection coming in from parents, colleagues and students.  My office was right next to his work area where he ran his one-on-one writing workshop.   I will continue in another msg. VK

My dear, irreplaceable friend, I will miss you so, and when I measure my years, I know they will feel just a bit smaller and dimmer. You helped me whittle down the grief and redouble the joy, every day, true friend that you were.  You will remain the voice in my head that reminds me not to take  all the little off-stage dramas quite so seriously.  It's the big show that matters.  What will we all do without you?  Much love, always, from your Margie.

I knew Arthur as a child, because I was a child with him. We had play dates in 1st grade, attended parties as preteens and teenagers, and marched in the same high school graduation. We also attended Bat Mitzvahs and confirmation class at the Wantagh Jewish Center, in what was once our neighborhood vortex--Crest Road, Maxwell Drive and Martin Drive. How lucky we were to live in that peaceful and nurturing environment.  I probably never saw you after High School. I put my title PhD on this note only because you probably don't believe it. It took 40 years and I became a goNod student and scholar, and also a teacher like you. You were one of the smart kids, so I am not surprised that you became a teacher. Your students love you so much, and if nothing else, that is a reward that means more than any other. I wish in your next life you find peace and all things good, no matter where or what this life is.

Namaste,
Merrill




Mr. Whitman was a cherished teacher of mine who had an everlasting impact on so many students, including me. He was my English teacher two years in a row, and I am proud to say that I was closely part of his “Tahoma tribe”. As a matter of fact, my go-to font has been the Tahoma font since knowing him, three years ago.
I’d like to say Mr. Whitman and I had a special connection, whether it was because we both wore hearing aids, or we just had the same personalities. He was aware of me before I was even in his class because my sister had long talked to him about me. For this reason, he greeted me in his class with a large smile on the first day of school with my name already memorized. 
However, Mr. Whitman was a special kind of teacher. I remember his kindness and how easy it was to talk to him. He was so genuine when giving advice and sought the best for his students. Sometimes, when I went up to his dialogue room, he would be chatting with students that he no longer taught simply for the sake of catching up. Indeed, he cared and remembered his students even after they were no longer in his class or had graduated.
Earlier this year, he told me to come up to his dialogue room to catch up and I’m ashamed to say I didn’t do so. I don’t know why, but I deeply regret it now. In those last few weeks his face disappeared from the Lycee’s hall, I kept wondering why I didn’t go. 
And two days ago, you slipped away on the day of our Gatsby party, without any notice.
It was a heartbreaking moment for all of us that knew you.
However, your memory will stay amongst us.
Your pal,

Mr. M


Dear Mr Whitman,

I am so sorry I did not have the  chance to share my recent writings with you. Thank you so much for those wonderful years of teaching. You had no favorites but you made everyone feel like they were.

"With him life was a routine; without him life was unbearable". Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Your friend Raphy.

Good morning Mr. Whitman!

I remember we used to say it to you every time before class, and you would make us repeat it until we got it just right. I liked listening to you read The Pigman, and you enjoyed reading it to us as well. You were always very kind and cheerful, you never lost your temper, and you never told anyone off. I will forever remember your cheeky smile, with your finger pointing up, after fire drills, telling us  “Goodbye children! See you upstairs!”, while we had to trudge upstairs.

Thank you for being my teacher.
Sincerely,

Clément Rozé 


I was lucky to have known you. You were truly one of the "good ones". You will be missed and the memory of your smiling happy face will forever be etched in my mind.

Dear Arthur,
Who other than you would suggest we go check out a production of Frankenstein the musical for the students before taking them to see it? We looked at ourselves at intermission, laughed and left. I promise to keep looking for theater opportunities for our students. I will miss sharing room 511 with you, all those times you would look at the faces of students you had taught when they were younger, smile and say: you have that one! Lucky you! You loved them all and would linger to listen to their conversations, now more grown.  Thank you for teaching Colin and Liam in their essential 3ème Merchant year. You gave Colin confidence as a writer. Liam loved his relationship with you, which evolved as his consigliere of technology later. I think you had a couple of those.  You were a great friend to Hugh and me. We were so honored to be regular guests at your poetry slam table   You are an important part of our family, Arthur. We love you forever. 
Joelle and also Hugh, Colin and Liam 

Thank you for helping me throughout my middle school years, thank you for the books and your words, thank you for teaching me more about life, thank you for helping me live. I will always remember what you’ve done for me.

Dear Mr. Withman,

I will always remember our first meeting. You were my daughter Alyssa’s advisor and you walked in the CDI with all her evaluations in hand and sat in front of me with a big smile saying : “What are we going to do with this girl?!” showing me all of the doodles and sketches in the margins of all of her papers/ essays and hinting that this could not be ignored. You went on by saying that this artistic talent was a huge part of who she was and that we should encourage her to develop it to its full potential. This meeting was the trigger for us parents and Alyssa is now following her dreams  of becoming an animator at SVA and thriving! I will always be grateful for your amazing capacity to understand your students, your eloquence and your kindness. You will be greatly missed, dear Mr. Whitman....

Dear Mr. Whitman,

I still cannot wrap my mind around the fact that you are gone. It makes me so sad to think that I will never see you waiting by the elevator or see your big smile again. I will always remember your love for the book To Kill A Mockingbird and all of your post-it notes on my essays. Thank you for everything you did for me and for everyone else because you touched everyone’s hearts wherever you went. 
Rest in peace. 
Love, 

Olivia 

Dear Mr. Whitman, 

Words cannot describe how sad I was when I went to my breathing space and didn't see you walking through it and asking me to open the door for you. I will never forget talking to you about Broadway shows or our favorite book: To Kill A Mockingbird. You are the teacher who believed in students the most, and always pushed them to do better. Every good grade that I will get on an essay I will dedicate to you because you are the only teacher who helped me improve in writing. Even when I didn't have you as a teacher, I would go to your dialogue because I knew you would help me write my essays. Thank you so much for always having your door open to me, and always letting me come into your class to talk to you. You have helped me so much throughout the 3 years that I knew you.  Thank you for coming to every single one of my basketball matches, even though you hated the sport. After every single game you would congratulate me, and I will never forget the big smile on your face when we won, and your words of encouragement when we lost. I will think of you every time I play a basketball game, every time I read To Kill a Mockingbird and every time I hand in my essays. 

You will be greatly missed, 
Charlotte

Dear Mr. Whitman,

On my graduation day in 2016, as my year paraded down the aisles of the 92Y to "Pomp and Circumstance", I remember you making eye contact with me and calling out, "Go get 'em, Gabby!" It was then that I realized that you'd watched me grow up, from the day I first had you as a teacher in Sixieme to the day I received my high school diploma six years later. 

There are too many wonderful memories to recall at once: reading "Alan and Naomi" out loud to my sixth grade class on Fridays, persuading me to give "Midsummer Night's Dream" a chance, Grammar Tuesdays, yearbook staff meetings... these are just a few of the ones that come to mind. I will always appreciate you keeping in touch with me after graduation and taking an interest in my life as an English major in college. When I announced that I was going to be a creative writing major on Facebook, you said that you wanted a signed copy of my first published manuscript; that comment meant the world to me, and I'll never forget how much you believed in me and, in turn, helped me believe in myself, both during my Lycée years and afterwards.

It goes without saying that you will be incredibly missed by anyone who was lucky enough to have you in their lives. I'm so glad I got the chance to have you as an English teacher, and won't soon forget everything you've taught me.

Dear Mr. Whitman,

Your love for the theatre inspired me. I will never forget your constant encouragement to pursue my love for literature and the performing arts. Your appreciation for the importance of language was infectious and made me all the more sensitive to the art of storytelling. You have left a immense void at the Lycee and will be greatly missed by all your students, but especially by me.

I also want to extend my heartfelt condolences to the Whitman family.

Your admiring fan,
Pia

Dear Arthur,

Words are important, useful, essential, especially for an English teacher.  Nevertheless, I do prefer a gesture. So here is mine: each time I will go to a Broadway show, I will take you in my mind, in my heart and through my eyes you will enjoy the show with me!

We will miss you,

Sebastien 

PS: I am sure they will play “Kinky boots” in Heaven just for you, save me a good seat! 

Dear Mr.Whitman, 

Walking into class yesterday with you not in it and finding out that you passed away was the worst moment of my life.  This year was the first year with you as my English teacher. You taught my brother 10 years ago and he told me I was so lucky to have you as an English teacher this year. He was a great fan of you but you weren’t a great fan of his. You told me that he was sneak as a child but knew he would become a successful young adult. The first thing you said to me this year in class was “I hope you’re not like Anouar” and you chuckled. The first email you sent me this year was that I could come to you with anything and you wanted to meet me and talk to me about my brother and just about life.  I can’t believe you left us,  why did someone so kind, so loving and an amazing person just leave. I’m completely devastated. I already miss you and hope to see you next week in English saying “Good Morning, Mr.Whitman” in unison. I wasn’t always in my best behavior in English class this year and you weren’t quite happy. I tried so hard in the second semester to be a better person and student, you told me to keep going and to keep trying. I was convinced that I couldn’t, but you told me that you would help me become a better student and I was, I am so grateful for that. I know you’re a big fan of broadway shows and musicals ! And that was one of the reason why I wanted you as a teacher, I’m a big fan myself and I was so grateful that you came to see me in Matilda this year! You told me you were excited to see me performance and never knew about my artistic side, I was glad that you came and I hope you were too.  You would always tell me to bring my brother back to see you and I am so devastated that he didn’t come. I wish he came to see you and to talk to you. He wishes it too. I wanted to thank you, you were a good person and you had an impact on so many teachers, students and parents. We will never forget about you. I will miss you, 
Love, 
Lina 

Dear Arthur, 

There were so many things I loved about you. Every year, you took your class downstairs for the 9/11 moment of silence. You went to numerous school basketball games to support the students, even though you hated basketball. Without any shame, you would tell me that you were going home to take a nap and watch Wendy Williams. You were a friend from the beginning and someone I could routinely turn to for advice or a good laugh. Your humility, kindness, warmth, and generosity made you a special person. I am thankful for the ten years I knew you, and I will always think of you on our birthday. 

Your pal, 

Xav 

Dear Mr. Whitman, 
I wanted to prove to you that after just one year of being in your class, I instantly became a better writer, especially thanks to your "grammar tuesdays"; however, under these tragic circumstances, nothing I write seems to be good enough. Many people are either good at math or english, and before your class I was neither. Thanks to you, English has since become my favorite subject and for that I am grateful. Thank you for simply being you, always coming to class with a huge smile and for not giving up or leaving anyone behind. 
Rest easy. 
With love, 
Carla

Dear Whitman family,

I have yesterday heard the terrible news of the departure of A. Whitman. He was a very close teacher of mine, we spent a really great three years together, from the moment we met to his last days. I like to think that we were friends because of the way we interacted with each other. He even told me himself I was probably the longest teacher-student relation he had. He was a really unique person. Just this last year, he sent me a letter for X-mas/New Year, he shared his religious traditions with us, he proposed himself to give me private English lessons, he was always there to help me if in need. An extremely kindhearted and well intentioned man (he even brought cakes to those who had their birthday during the week!). I will never forget him.
Keep in mind you are not alone in this difficult time, I,  to a close degree, share the same great pain along with a big portion of the Lycee Francais community,  and I am still recovering from the news.
All my condolences and love,
Anton Maironi

Arthur—

You are a bon vivant mensch, a singular sensation whose Times Square-sized personality and Great White Way smile I always loved whenever there was a Town gathering.  I treasure to this day the kind words you shared with me when my mom passed.  You are a dear friend to her and the Town School community.  Beyond that, though, the Theatre has lost one of the greatest friends it ever had.  

The lights of Broadway are just a bit dimmer without you.  

Godspeed, Arthur.

My dear, dear Arthur,
From reading the memories of others, I know that mine is not the  only heart breaking today.  I never knew you in your professional role and am deeply touched by the sentiments of your students and your colleagues.  You touched their lives in ways that I know you never knew.  You were far too humble for that.  I remember so many Thanksgivings with you, sitting beside each other by design.  I, too, loved the "well....helloooo you" with which I was always greeted, but I cherished that huge hug we always gave each other.  Sometimes we clung to each other.  I know how deeply you loved, from the depths of your soul, your niece and nephew, their spouses and their children.  Sitting beside you at Sadie's Bat Mitzvah, as we both watched our grand-niece excel in her service, we held hands and "kavelled" with pride; and we shed tears because her grandfather (your brother), and your beloved mother, were not there.  I will miss your hugs, I will miss your "from deep in your belly laughter", your sarcastic wit, but mostly, I will miss how you made me feel.  You made me feel loved.  I suspect you made everyone feel that way.  What a gift you were. The world is a bit less bright today.   

Dear Mr. Whitman, 

It came to me as a shock when I heard the tragedy. Never would I have thought that one day you just wouldn’t be here anymore. However, your memory lives on forever. Never will I forget how great of a teacher you were, and how passionate you were about your students. Never will I forget how much you believed in us. I wish you had been there to attend our gatsby party that you loved so much, it was a great party; filled with happy and sad emotions. Even though not everyone got the chance to be your student, you will always live on as a teacher to all. You will be missed. -Zoe 

Dear Mr. Whitman,
Words cannot describe how much of an impact you have had on me.
You taught me to love English and to pursue my passions.
From deciding to volunteer, to starting my book club, to organizing a panel, you supported me through it all despite how outlandish it may have seemed at times.
Though it has been several years since I was in your class, I will never forget the infectious passion and patience with which you taught.
I am incredibly grateful to have known you and will deeply miss you,
Alice

I was truly saddened to hear of Mr Whitman’s departure, I only had him one year as a teacher but he was a truly passionate man who routinely shared this passion with us. Condolences to the family , may he be happy where he is now surrounded no doubt by many of his favorite books and their respective authors! 
Best,
Thomas

Dear Arthur, 

I am so sad that you left us. You can't  measure the impact you had on me at the Parent/Teacher conference when discussing the progress of my son Jonas Cohen. You took the time to know and understand him. To embrace everything that is positive and encourage him charismatically. You were good, generous, giving, perspicacious, talented. You made Jonas want to give his best and made many of his days a lot less dreadful. Your name was always praised.
I was looking forward to my daughter getting the pleasure to sit in your class and appreciate your wisdom and all your blessings.

In that quick and busy time that are the Parent/Teacher appointments, you touched my soul.
You will be missed.

Ariane Pringels

Arthur was a devoted and loyal friend to so many of us at The Town School.  I am deeply saddened by his death.  

Dear Mr Whitman,
You have been in our lives for many years as a teacher and  mentor to my 3 girls and I just saw you a few weeks ago for a chat and to catch up on Denise, Sophie and Chantal's lives. I hope that you know that you were a very special teacher and that you will be forever remembered as the one that inspired the students to write, to read and most of all to love Broadway and all of the off- off- broadway plays we all got to see with you.  I had the chance to accompany the students often. Farewell and Adieu. You will be missed.

Dear Arthur,

You were a great friend as far back as when we were both 2 on Crest Road in Wantagh.  Funny, sharp and so perceptive, you were always a great "wit," in the broadest sense of the word.  You were so obviously born to be a teacher, and the loving notes from your students and colleagues are the best proof of how well you succeeded.  

Rest in peace, Arthur, knowing how much you gave and how much you were loved and appreciated.



Dear Arthur, 
Where will you be?
When I want to hear your wisdom opinion and chat?
When I need to hear a poem?
When I need a big smile and a bright colored shirt to enlighten my Day?
When I want to read a new book or go to a Broadway show?
You will be in my memory and in the one of everyone you inspired. I will miss you. 
Love, 
Sylvie  


Dear Mr.Whitman,

I will never forget our classes together in 6eme when you would read to us every single day à passage from one of your favorite books “Alan and Naomi”. Even though you were only my  teacher for one year, you always said hi to me in the hallway and would ask me questions. Whenever I go to support, you always came to check on me and see what I was studying and working on. You would always tell me to not stress and that I should focus on working in things that interested me the most and that I am the best at. Thank you for being a warm, genuine and compassionate kind person. You have changed so many lives at the Lycee including mine. I will never forget you.
Lots of love always,
Juliette 

Dear Mr. Whitman,

I fear to believe that you are not here anymore, that everyday in the elevators or in the hallways I will not see your huge smile exclaiming “ Well good morning!”

I will forever remember our Grammar Wednesday classes which many people dreaded yet that I always looked forward to. You would always exclaim “ The sun is out and calling for us to do grammar!” or “ It’s a beautiful day to do grammar!”

You have shaped us intellectually and personally as well to always give our best and be the best possible version of ourselves.

Thank you for helping us become the people that we have become today and for never giving up on us. 

I promise, no more comma splices! 

May you rest in eternal peace.

Olivia Girombelli

Mr. Whitman,
It’s very hard to  accept that your are gone. You will forever be my favorite English teacher. I will miss you tremendously.  I am so lucky to have gotten to know you as my English teacher. I remember all our fun moments and how you always spoke your mind to make sure we were making sense in whatever we were writing.
May You Rest In Peace 

I just found out a few minutes ago. How could Arthur be gone? I was hoping to see him in New York next week at a Town event. I am so grateful that when I visited New York during Thanksgiving, my husband and I met Arthur  for lunch . We had our usual lively conversation; Arthur was always so much fun to be with.  I shall miss this wonderful man who was my colleague, mentor, and most of all dear friend.

Diane DuBois Marsh

Arthur, 
I can't believe I won't be able to pick up the phone everyday to talk to you about everything two close friends do - mostly gossip!  I am still processing this...I love and will miss you incredibly much! xoxoxo, Lee 

Can only think of wonderful memories of our youth at Camp Modin!
Yael (Shulimson) Goldman

Dear Arthur - Never a dull moment with you around!  Your sense of humor and fun, your (thinly) veiled cynicism, your love for kids, and your absorption in your job shone through everything you did.  Thank you for letting me work with you on the musicals at Town, and for the English teaching you gave over to me, and for just being hilariously you.  I remember when Lexey was born and you called her "My Baby," and continued to call her that no matter how old she was.

Love you, miss you,

Tina


Dear Mr. Whitman,

You were a great teacher and always wanted us to improve. You were always happy. I remember that every morning we had to say "Good morning Mr. Whitman" and if it was not in unison or loud enough you would make us repeat it. You were amazing and will always be in my heart.

Paul

Dear Mr. Whitman,

I’ m never going to meet anyone like you. Every time you told me I was weird for pointing out all the actors I knew in the movie Merchant Of Venice, or when I tried to give my huge prediction of the plot and you smiled because you knew I was totally wrong. Even those 15 min long talks we would have after class that made me so late but I didn’t even care. Those are only a fraction of the good memories I have with you. You meant so much to me. Thank you for everything you’ve taught me in life. I’ll never forget any of it.

Dear Mr. Whitman, 
I still cannot believe that you are gone, but I will always remember the last day we saw each other. I had just told you I was leaving lfny, and you gave me the biggest most comforting hug. Thank you for being the sweetest, smiling, wonderful person that you were. Thank you for helping me discover some of the best books I have read. Thank you for always caring about your job and never letting anyone feel left out. Thank you for the dreaded grammar Wednesday’s. Thank you for the 2 exceptional years I was lucky enough to have you as a teacher. You were one of the most loved professors in this school. You will be greatly missed,
Thank you for everything,

Justine 

Dear Arthur,
We started teaching the same year at the Lycee, and even though I was teaching in the primary English department, and you were in the secondary department, we always had fun conversations whenever we saw each other.  What a wonderful tribute to you as I read the memories by your students, many who were my students when they were younger.  You were truly an inspirational teacher, with a great sense of humor, and the ability to instill a joy of learning to your students.  Rest in peace Arthur! 


Dear Arthur/Mr. Whitman, I will never forget your kindness, humor and friendship. We had so many laughs and fun times. You will be missed. Love, Renee 

Dear Mr. Whitman,

I cannot believe you are gone.

From reading Julius Caesar with you in 7th grade, to small hallway conversations in 8th, and then back again to your classroom in 9th, I feel so lucky and truly blessed to have been able to know you. 

I will never forget saying “Good morning Mr. Whitman” to you, in unison, at the beginning of every class, and the huge smile you had after we were all perfectly together, on the third try. I will always type my essays in Tahoma font size 12, because, as you taught us, there is no other acceptable font or size. 

You had the biggest heart, and your kindness, warmth and thoughtfulness have truly impacted me, as well as so many other students.

Thank you for having taught me throughout the years, whether it was in class with grammar sheets or in the hallways about various Broadway shows.  You made the books we read so meaningful to us. I am so lucky to have known you. 

You will be missed every day. 

Love,
Ashley 

Mr. Whitman,

Thank you for being the most exceptional English teacher I will ever have. 

I am so grateful for the two years I was able to call myself your student, and for the two years following where I continued to apply everything you taught me. Your classroom was always a positive space where we were encouraged to make mistakes as long as we were trying our hardest. 

Your class could never begin without all of us simultaneously yelling « Good morning Mr. Whitman » at least twice until you were satisfied. As annoying as I once thought they were, I am forever grateful for Grammar Wednesdays, and how much of your knowledge you shared with us all.  No matter what you made sure that every voice in the classroom was heard and that no voice was left out. Your readings of « Alan and Naomi » were so dear to me and I’m sure they are to every student who was lucky enough to experience you reading it to them as well.  

You once asked us to write to you an honest response of « To Kill A Mockingbird » . I explained to you about how as good of a book it was I still found that something was missing, but I couldn’t figure out what. You advised me to re-read to book when I am in Premiere and tell you about my opinion of it after 5 years. Even though I’ve still got 2 years until premiere, I look forward to re-reading it then 
and seeing how my appreciation of the book has changed.

Thank you for always listening to what each of us had to say, even if they had nothing to do with English class. Your excitement for our accomplishments outside of the classroom was so nice.
I feel so lucky to have known you, to have been taught by you and to have had you in my life. 
Never stop pointing out comma splices. 

My dearest Mr. Whitman,
I cannot believe you're gone. You were one of the greatest people I had ever met, and I am so lucky to have met, and shared memories with someone like you. Throughout the years, you've helped me grow as a person and as a student. You've always showed so much attention towards me, and always made me feel special. You believed in me, told me I could do better and encouraged me to be the best version of myself.

Thank you for being there for me, in and out the classroom.  Seeing you at the Christmas service just to see me read, is something I will remember forever. Every time I saw you, it was never a casual "hello, how are you?". You always wanted to know how I was doing, how my English year was going, and how my family was going. We'll miss you and love you forever.  May your soul rest in absolute peace Mr. Whitman, you deserve the world. 

Love, from Tiwani

Dear Mr. Whitman,

Thank you so much for not only being an exceptional teacher, but also a true mentor. You taught us to focus on what mattered in life. I will always remember your kindness throughout the years. Your words and the advice you offered me since my very first moments of sixth grade will continue to influence me, and like so many others, I will miss you.

May you rest in peace,
Clara Asseily

Arthur,

Thank you for your caring, wit, laughter and kindness. May you rest in peace and love.

Your friend,

Shana

Rest In Peace old friend.  You graced us with your presence and you will be sorely missed by all who had the very great fortune of knowing you.

Dear Mr. Whitman,

The thought of your not being here anymore breaks my heart.

You were one of the most special teachers I have ever had, and made me feel like I could achieve anything. 

You had the kindest heart and always made me feel like I was the only person in the room when we had the chance to talk. I'll always remember the many times I stumbled into the teacher's offices to drop off a paper for another teacher, and we would end up in long conversations catching up and exchanging opinions on the latest Broadway shows.  I'll never forget when I asked you if you were going to see "To Kill A Mockingbird" and you told me that  the question wasn't if you were going to see it, but how many times you'd be going!

Your wit and happy personality made the school a better place. I don't think there is a single person who doesn't have something good to say about you, because you touched everyone. 

I was one of the lucky people to share a special bond with you, and I will always honor your memory. 

You will be missed.

Love,
Mia 


To our beloved Mr Whitman,

We will always remember your kindness and your perseverance to make us better. 
You always wanted us to succeed and to feel included. 
We will always remember when you read to us Alan and Naomi. 

Rest in peace, you will be missed. 

Ariane, Isabelle, Stella and Sasha

Dear Arthur,

I remember the last time we spoke and those kind words will resonate in my heart.

Your loving and caring personality, your “well, hello you”, your huge smile each time I would show you pictures of my children... I will miss all that and I wish I had spent more time enjoying your sense of humor and your funny French speaking skills.

You are and will always be that amazing being and that one of a kind teacher. 

May you Rest In Peace. Puisses tu vivre pour l'éternité.

Aurore, Lily, Pascal and I are sending you all our love.

Sylvain. 

My friend, I will miss your poems, conversation , humor and spirit. You were the one who could validate all my guilty pleasures. With all my love now and always. 

The Fieldston community is devastated to learn of Arthur’s passing. Arthur’s legacy lives on in the students he nurtured and cared for, long after they were technically his students. We are a better place for the years he spent at Fieldston. 

OBITUARY

Arthur Whitman

June 6, 1950 – May 23, 2019

Riverside Memorial Chapel

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