by Toby Himmel, former Director of Alumni Relations
The Ethical Culture Fieldston School community lost an exceptionally loyal friend and its staunchest supporter on March 11, 2021.
Barbara Antell Silber was an alumna of the Fieldston class of 1950, one of the many ECFS hats she wore over her lifetime. She earned a B.A. in physiological chemistry from Smith College and a master’s degree in biology from NYU.
Mrs. Silber brilliantly taught biology to thousands of Fieldston students for three decades, beginning in 1971, in the Kotlar Lab and served as Chair of the science department. Before retirement, she earned a second master’s in genetic counseling from Mount Sinai Medical Center, and then had a second career as a genetic counselor to expectant couples for over a decade in city-run health centers. Her final professional chapter was as a tutor in biology at City College.
Mrs. Silber devoted an enormous amount of energy as a volunteer on behalf of her beloved high school alma mater. She was the leader of her Fieldston class and kept everyone in touch with frequent email communications, informing her classmates of news about the school as well as soliciting support for the ECFS annual fund.
As a faculty member, she hired a number of teachers over the decades and was a peerless mentor to so many in the high school. As news of Mrs. Silber’s passing spread, notes of remembrance and praise from former colleagues were shared:
“…a dedicated and articulate member of the faculty, a fine educator who was devoted to the growth and progress of her students. She was always proud of her alumna status and really worked to advance the professional role of teachers at the school. She represented the science department well.”
“Barbara was a force of nature…I was fortunate enough to become her friend and she generously shared her wisdom with me. I do not think that there is anyone who has given more to Fieldston than Barbara did. Her gifts will live on through her countless students and colleagues.”
“She changed my life by hiring me…”
“Barbara was a Fieldston legend. Awesome teacher and amazing person. She had such a positive influence on so many children.”
“…always so kind and supportive to me as a new teacher and throughout the years. She was Fieldston at its best.”
“Barbara was very kind to me when I arrived at Fieldston in 1996. She was unofficially part of my orientation to the school.”
“…an attentive mentor to me when I arrived at Fieldston, and never stinted on giving good advice! Quite brilliant, ahead of her time, oriented toward the good, force of nature…I loved meeting up with her at alumni events and relished my conversations with her. I will miss her. What a powerfully historical person we have lost!”
“…the most authentic representation of the best of Fieldston and I loved the way she defined the culture of the school for me when I was first hired.”
“As my ‘Dean of Information,’ Barbara helped me navigate ECFS complexities far better than anybody else could have.”
A global traveler and fan of art, theater, classical music, tennis, and wordplay, she was vigorous until her final days — truly a lifelong learner. She relished trips to her cabin in the Adirondacks and was a tireless volunteer for favored candidates and causes in the November elections. Mrs. Silber’s family said her abiding hope was that the world’s citizens would work together to reverse the damage humanity has done to the climate.
The Barbara Antell Silber Fund for the Sciences at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School (https://www.ecfs.org/en/support-ecfs/) has been created by the Silber family in her memory. Our community will miss her profoundly and we send heartfelt condolences to her children, Andrea ’73, Jeffrey ’76, Laura ’79, and Michael ’82 and her six adored grandchildren, among them former Fieldston students Mila, Iva and Ana Knezevic.
