Patricia Lockhart, a science teacher who had an immense impact on her Staten Island community, dies at 63

In 2005, Patricia Lockhart went on a humanitarian mission to Liberia, where many of her PS 57 students came from. With her, she brought much needed resources—food, clothing, and books. While there, she met a boy, Boimah Cooper, who was suffering from tuberculosis. She brought him back with her to Staten Island, where he attended PS 57 until she got him the necessary spinal surgery. The surgery was a success, but soon after he succumbed to the lung damage caused by the tuberculosis.

Heartbroken, Patricia returned to Liberia to bury Boimah. But she did not come back alone. While there, she tracked down Boimah’s friend, Yatta, in an orphanage. She ended up adopting Yatta, who also attended PS 57 and now works there as a paraprofessional.

Patricia, a science teacher, who always went beyond the call of duty, died on Nov. 1 at age 63. The cause of death was cancer.

Patricia was raised in Grant City. Her father, Bruce Copp, was a salesman for a steel company. Her mother, Grace Copp, taught at Susan E. Wagner High School. Patricia had five siblings. “We were all expected to be contributing and busy,” said her sister, Mary Lee. “My mother wanted us to be activists and to help other people, so that was instilled in all of us. Patricia and I wanted to be a teacher like our mother. We definitely wanted to emulate her and follow in her footsteps.”

As a young woman, Patricia married her husband, David Lockhart, and gave birth to her daughter, Dana. She and her husband later divorced and Patricia raised Dana as a single mother while working as a paraprofessional at PS 52 in Dongan Hills. At the same time, she pursued both an associate and bachelor degree from the College of Staten Island. She became a special education teacher at PS 57 in Clifton and soon obtained a master’s degree in special education.

Patricia would remain at PS 57 for the rest of her teaching career. For seven years she taught second grade as a general education teacher before transitioning to be a STEAM teacher, educating children from pre-K to fifth grade. She also taught at an afterschool program at the YMCA.

“All these young kids looked up to her. She made science fun for them. It was something they didn’t like and came to love because of her. She had a profound impact on these kids,” Mary said.

Most summers, Patricia and her sister, who is also a science teacher, attended workshops to advance their professional development. “We would learn how to do really cool things,” Mary said. “We did environmental or robotics workshops and learned how to do these things with kids.”

Patricia became the sustainability coordinator at PS 57. Beginning in 2002, she led the Eibs Pond Education Program at the school. “She would have the kids go over there and do lessons on photosynthesis, plant life, and water testing,” Mary said.

She also established fruit and vegetable, butterfly and bee gardens for the students. When she wasn’t teaching or volunteering, Patricia was searching for grant money. “She would always try to get funding for equipment or even food for the students because sometimes these kids didn’t have a good meal at home,” Mary said. “She was raising money for the kids to do STEAM activities, either robotics tournaments, or going to the soapbox derby.”

In 2000, one of her student’s baby brother passed away after falling out of a window at nearby Park Hill Apartments. Patricia took it upon herself to raise awareness and obtain funds to install safety gates in the building. Her lobbying paid off. “She was able to get this humongous grant for hundreds of thousands of dollars to put safety gates on fire escape windows in buildings like Park Hill,” Mary said.

Patricia led her students at PS 57 to participate in robotics teams and soap box derby programs. She is credited with introducing soap box derby competitions in New York City publics schools. The program taught children how to build and race cars. She brought some of her students, including special needs students, to the annual soap box derby tournament in Akron, Ohio.

“She had a heart of gold. She was very kind to everybody. She had a magical effect on kids and people in general. She was a role model for the kids and showed them how to continue giving so that the next generation could benefit,” Mary said.

Over the years, Patricia earned many awards and recognition for her work. In 2001, she was named an Advance Woman of Achievement. In 2014, the New York City Partnerships for Parks gave her the “Golden Trowel Award.” In 2021, she won the Flag Award for Teaching Excellence.

She is survived by her daughters, Dana Lockhart and Yatta Johnson Lockhart, her granddaughter, Lara Lockhart-Scammardella, and her siblings, Bruce Copp, Brian Copp, Bradley Copp, Mary Lee and Brett Copp.

A visitation for Patricia will be held Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Casey-McCallum Rice Funeral Home, 30 Nelson Avenue on Staten Island. A religious ceremony will occur on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 10 a.m. at St. Clare Roman Catholic Church, Great Kills. A committal service will follow at 11:15 a.m. at Resurrection Cemetery, Pleasant Plains.

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