Obituary of Anita Magistro Udell

ANITA MAGISTRO UDELL – October 22, 1921 – February 18, 2015 Anita Magistro Udell, an educator at Beaver College (now Arcadia University) for more than 25 years, passed away at her home in Rydal, PA on February 18, 2015, surrounded by her family. Mrs. Udell's unsurpassed intellect and fortitude led to an equally unsurpassed life of accomplishments, which touched and enriched the lives of all who knew her. She was born in Glen Ridge, NJ on October 22, 1921 to immigrant parents from Sicily, and raised in Montclair and East Orange, NJ. She became the first child in her family, and in fact the first woman in her Northern New Jersey Italian-American community, to go to college and then on to graduate studies, ultimately becoming Chair of the Foreign Language Department of Beaver College in Glenside, PA. Her college studies were launched thanks to her mother's needlework skills, her parents' progressive attitudes about girls and education, and a very observant high school teacher. As Mrs. Udell recounted, her teacher at East Orange High School, Edna Hummer, had complimented Mrs. Udell on a beautiful crocheted dress she wore to school one day. When she learned that Mrs. Udell's mother had made the dress, Mrs. Hummer asked for the pattern, and through that request met Mrs. Udell's parents, Maria Concetta and Michelangelo Magistro. Eventually, Mrs. Hummer began to visit the Magistro family regularly; Mrs. Udell remembered that even though the family traditionally drank espresso from the stovetop Neapolitan coffee pot, they always made sure to have a special teacup for Mrs. Hummer, who drank only tea. In the course of their many conversations, Mrs. Hummer persuaded Mrs. Udell's parents that their daughter had tremendous potential, and should go to college. As a result, after graduating from East Orange High School in 1938, Mrs. Udell attended Montclair State Teacher's College (now Montclair State University) in Montclair, NJ, as a French major. She graduated in 1943, after an extra year spent studying at Laval University in Quebec City, Canada. She applied for teaching positions, and later spoke of being turned down for at least one prime position despite her qualifications, due to discrimination against Italian Americans, which was quite prevalent at that time. She obtained her first teaching position in Netcong, NJ, where she taught for one year. Mrs. Udell subsequently took a break from teaching and moved to New York City to work as a secretary for a financial corporation on Wall Street, and then for an import-export firm. At that time, she also began graduate studies at Columbia Teachers College, focusing on foreign language instruction for elementary school students. She went on to pursue doctoral studies as well, but left them upon her marriage to Dr. Eugene Udell, whom she met at Columbia Teachers College – and who eventually became Dean of Temple University Ambler Campus, and Vice Provost of Student Affairs at Temple's main campus. The couple moved to the Philadelphia area, where they raised two children – Jon Udell and Ruth Udell Kunstadter. Dr. and Mrs. Udell and their children lived in New Delhi, India from 1961 to 1962 while Dr. Udell worked for the Ministry of Education on a USAID/Columbia Teachers College project. While in India, Mrs. Udell studied Hindi, volunteered at a local clinic, and tutored students from the American Embassy community. Upon returning to Plymouth Meeting, Mrs. Udell taught first grade for one year at Plymouth Meeting Friends School. In 1965, Mrs. Udell began teaching French and Spanish at Beaver College. She was an outstanding and beloved educator, and eventually served as Chair of the Foreign Language Department for 15 of her more than 25 years at Beaver. Anyone who knew Mrs. Udell would not be surprised to know that she stayed as active as ever, if not more so, upon retiring from Beaver. She ran the Melrose Park-Elkins Park West Town Watch (meeting President Clinton in the process), volunteered at Abington Hospital and the Elkins Park Free Library, and continued her own love of needlework – the same family skill that had launched her educational and professional career. She knit baby blankets and afghans for her five grandchildren, and learned to quilt, sewing a series of stunning quilts and wall hangings. She also served as a volunteer tutor for high school students in foreign languages, and participated in several Elderhostel tours both in the United States and internationally. She always nurtured her lifelong love of the opera, which began when she was a child listening to Caruso records on the giant Victrola in her Zia Ninetta's living room and attending the opera in Newark with her father (Aida was a favorite). She was also an accomplished pianist, and from a very young age, travelled from her home in New Jersey to her piano teacher's apartment in Greenwich Village for her lessons. Throughout her life, Mrs. Udell was a woman of enormous perseverance and fortitude, with a keen intellect, an unquenchable thirst for learning and enrichment, and an unstoppable will. When her daughter mentioned to her only a few weeks ago that she was very stubborn, refusing to use a wheelchair despite her overwhelming physical limitations, Mrs. Udell responded, "That's the only way you get anywhere." She was known for being a voracious reader who could easily read five books per week. When macular degeneration robbed her of her ability to see well enough to read, she switched to audio books and continued not only to read, but to write book reviews and provide astute reading suggestions to all who knew her. In her later years, Mrs. Udell was active in her senior living community at Rydal Park, running a word group and participating in a current events discussion group, among many other activities. Mrs. Udell is survived by her two children, Jon Udell (Luann) of Santa Rosa, CA, and Ruth Kunstadter, of Montclair, NJ; five grandchildren: Robin and Doug Udell, and Natalie, Henry and Willie Kunstadter; her brother Charles Magistro (Noël) of Claremont, CA, and many beloved nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. She is predeceased by her husband. The family has established a scholarship fund to assist foreign language majors in financial need to study abroad. This was a pivotal opportunity in Mrs. Udell's life, and in this way, she will continue to have an impact on many other lives. Donations in Mrs. Udell's honor may be made to the Montclair State University Foundation (write "Anita Magistro Udell Scholarship Fund" in the Memo section) and mailed c/o Ely F. Santoni, Montclair State University Foundation, College Hall, Room 300, Montclair, NJ 07043. A memorial gathering for family and friends will be held on Saturday, March 7 from 2:00-4:00 pm in the Sun and Social Room at Rydal Park Retirement Community in Rydal, PA.