Estelle Wild, born September, 1934 in Brooklyn, New York to wonderful parents Isadore and Sofia Spivak, passed on February 3, 2012 from pancreatic cancer. She was a superior student who graduated Thomas Jefferson High School at age 15. She then went on to Brooklyn College. In 1960, Mrs. Wild received her Master of Science from Brooklyn College in Emotionally Disturbed/Autistic K-12 Education and in 1980 her degree in Administration and Supervision from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida.

Mrs. Wild retired as Executive Director Exceptional Student Education from Miami-Dade County Public Schools in 2002. During her 34 year career in education she was a pioneer in the education of Severely Emotionally Disturbed (SED) Children. In the 1960’s she opened the first class for SED in New York City Schools. In 1970, Mrs. Wild moved to Miami-Dade County (Florida) where she started the first class for emotionally disturbed education at Miami Park Elementary. She was recruited to be on the first faculty for the opening of Miami Sunset Senior High School. Mrs. Wild was then selected to be an Administrator for the School District. Throughout her 22 years as an administrator she had a major positive impact on all of Exceptional Student Education. Among her hundreds of achievements, she founded and implemented the concept of Educational Specialists which is a select group of educators who help classroom teachers learn additional skills for teaching exceptional students. Mrs. Wild adopted the idea of Center Schools for Miami-Dade SED Students and with the encouragement of School Board Members Robert Renick, Dr. Solomon Stinson and Dr. Robert Ingram conceived, and had built the Robert Renick Educational Center School and Ruth Owens Kruse Educational Center School. Recently, Mrs. Wild was honored on the 20th Anniversary of the Kruse School. Both Center Schools have helped thousands of students and parents since their inception. In recent years Mrs. Wild was formally recognized by The Florida State House of Representatives and Miami-Dade County for all the she had accomplished as an Educator and Administrator in Miami-Dade County.

Mrs. Wild served on many Organization Boards of Directors including Council for Exceptional Students as a Board Member for over 20 years and as their nationally recognized President twice. She served as Vice President of the Institute for Child & Family Health (formally Children’s Psychiatric Center) for more than 20 years. She was on the Board of the International, Behavioral Institute for Children and Adolescents for over 25 years. In addition, she served on the boards and as a member of many other organizations.

Mrs. Wild was an adjunct professor at Barry College, Nova Southeastern University, and other institutions for over 30 years. She taught education and administration courses. Many of Mrs. Wild’s students have gone on to distinguished careers.

In another area of achievement, Mrs. Wild was the person who made hotel and conference arrangements for School, Region, District, State, National and International Conferences and meetings. She acted in the belief that Educators had the same needs to be in proper environments as did the business community and with the help of many top Dade County Hotels created of these meetings at a substantial savings to the District and tax payers.

Estelle is survived by her husband of 40 years, Robert (Bob), her daughter, Leah Cohen, her son, Brian, his wife, Dr. Akiko Kimura, Estelle’s niece, Leslie Williamowsky her husband, Larry and son Jeff, Estelle’s family in Israel including her cousins Dr. Alex and Ila Bloch and their family and Avi and Aviva Carmelli and their family and best friend from Long Island New York, Helen Butler. She was a great wife and a loving mother who will be sorely missed by her family and by all of those who were fortunate enough to know her.

Estelle’s family and all of their friends are very grateful to the Doctors and Staff of University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Clinic in Houston particularly the outstanding effort of Dr. James Abbruzzese and Alicia Ross and the staff of the GI Oncology Center along with the others at M.D. Anderson who have gone above and beyond and were very instrumental in keeping Estelle alive, with a good quality of life, since her diagnosis in September, 2009. We want to add our deepest appreciation to our Beth Yeshurun Family and the families who adopted us in Houston, specifically to Linda and Gordon Franklin, Georga and Steve Rudoff and Linda and Ronny Abramson and their families and too many others to list.