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Herb Greenburg
Many of you knew Herb Greenberg,
a colleague, a contributor to our profession, and "The Old
Poster Peddler."
By Tim Tesconi
Herbert Greenberg became a full-fledged
Francophile while studying at the University of Geneva during
his junior year in college. On weekends he would leave Switzerland
and head across the border to soak up anything and everything
French. "He was a Frenchman through and through, or at least
he wanted to be a Frenchman through and through. He loved everything
about France including the language," said wife Anne Greenberg
of Santa Rosa.
Greenberg, a longtime French teacher at Santa Rosa High School
and active community volunteer, died Wednesday at his Santa Rosa
home. He was 80. The cause of death was cancer.
Greenberg taught French at Santa Rosa High for 25 years, retiring
in 1984. He continued in the classroom as a substitute teacher
until last September, always upholding his reputation as a stern
taskmaster.
"Herb was known as Monsieur Greenberg at Santa Rosa High
School. He was intense, demanding and effective, reflecting what's
good in education," said retired teacher and friend Lee
Torliatt, who taught with Greenberg at Santa Rosa High. For many
years Greenberg and Torliatt commuted together, engaging in deep
philosophical discussions and flights of fancy.
"He had a wonderful sense of irony, mixed with a wonderful
sense of idealism. It made for interesting conversations,"
said Torliatt.
Greenberg earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from
Stanford University. Before becoming an educator, he served three
years with the Department of State in Iceland. During World War
II, he served with the Marines in the Pacific.
During his more than two decades at Santa Rosa High, Greenberg
immersed his students in French, not speaking a word of English
in the classroom. It befuddled students not willing to follow
the rigors of learning a difficult foreign language.
"He was a very serious teacher and a hard grader. He was
not popular with some students but reached the serious students
who really wanted to learn French. Many of his students went
on to become French teachers themselves," said his wife.
After he retired from active teaching, Greenberg maintained a
busy schedule as a volunteer, substitute teacher and avid long-distance
cyclist. He also started a business called the Old Poster Peddler,
a mail-order company that provided posters and other visual-aid
materials to foreign language teachers across the United States.
For many years, Greenberg volunteered as a third-grade tutor
at Burbank Elementary School, helping students who struggled
with math. In recent years, Greenberg used money he earned as
a substitute teacher to pay for buses so that the school's low-income
students could take field trips for cultural and educational
enrichment.
Greenberg also donated his time and organizational skills to
Sonoma County's Safe Kids Program, which sponsored bicycle rodeos
at schools throughout the county. The programs were aimed at
safe bicycling and getting kids to wear helmets.
He was a member of the Santa Rosa Cycling Club and the Unitarian-Universalist
Congregation.
In addition to his wife Anne, Greenberg is survived by his sons,
Mark Greenberg of Santa Rosa, Steven Greenberg of Berkeley and
Allen Greenberg of Falls Church, Va.; his sister, Joan Strauss
of Phoenix, Ariz.; and by one grandson.
Private family services will be held. The family suggests memorial
contributions to the Santa Rosa High School Foundation, P.O.
Box 11002, Santa Rosa, 95406.
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