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Rae Ann Hirsh passed away on September 30th, 2022 surrounded by loved ones after a courageous battle with cancer. Rae was born on June 2nd, 1971 to parents Allen and Barbara Geary. She was the oldest of two siblings, Rachel and Allen Geary Jr., and a ringleader of many family antics and adventures. She leaves behind her husband of 29 years (Gary Hirsh), her two daughters (Tori and Gabi Hirsh), her dog (Princess), and many coveted cookie recipes. She doted on her niece and nephew (Nolan and Geni Geary) and she was happiest in the company of her family and friends. Rae was an educator, gardener, flutist, and baker. She would describe herself as a patient gardener; one who understood the individuality of each seed and their needs, giving them room to grow. She published a book about early childhood education in 2004 and worked as a professor to help influence and guide new teachers. There are now hundreds of passionate teachers using her methods and changing the lives of children through kindness and patience. Rae worked at Carlow University for 12 years and established Pennsylvania’s first four-year apprenticeship program which continues to run successfully with the help of her beloved coworkers and team. Her work will continue to improve people’s lives and access to early childhood education nationwide. There will be no visitation. The family will have an intimate celebration of life and encourage those who knew her to pour a cup of tea, bake something delicious, or plant a flower in her memory. October 22, 2022 I'm very late to this. I was trying to write a post when I saw this but life got busy at the time. My heart is saddened to hear this news. Rae Ann Hirsh was one of favorite teachers. I always enjoyed being in her classes and be around her. She helped me to be the teacher I am today. She fought for each one us, had our backs, and helped us graduate. I don't think I could of graduated without her support. I have really bad test anxiety and she pushed me to work through it. Also, to be strong. She was always the first person I told when I passed the tests. I will always remember you Professor Rae Ann Hirsh. Thank you for all what you did for me and so many others. You will be greatly missed.❤️🩹❤️❤️ Mary Stephenson (A past student) October 09, 2022 Rae Ann was such a positive force at Carlow. Every time I had the opportunity to work with her on a project, her infectious optimism made it all the better. I will miss her influence here in a hundred different ways. October 08, 2022 I have known and admired Rae Ann since I met herm any years ago when we served together on the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. I was so impressed with how much she knew; how happy and welcoming she was to everyone; how open she was for new ideas for curriculum. I had the special opportunity to be involved in her apprenticeship program as well as other programs and initiatives she started and felt so honored to share that kind of outreach and intellectual space with her. I also shared her love of children and her great desire to have children be well educated and treated with nurturance and care from parents, teachers and child care folks. Her love of nurturance and her embrace of Mercy values and her creative, passionate approach to life ...!!!... Wow!!! She certainly filled a space in this world. I truly thank her for bringing such lovely and intelligent children into the world, Tori and Gabi, one of whom I was gifted of having in my class. Thank you Rae Ann for your presence in my life and in so many others' lives. Your brilliance wll never be forgotten. You are and continue to be a bright and shining star!!!! Pat Jameson...my heart is with you. October 05, 2022 Rae Ann was truly a wonderful person. It's very nice to see all of these great things that folks are saying about her. They are all true and then some. Rae Ann had a terrific sense of humor and always seemed to know the most clever thing to say. An educator of the highest caliber and a blessing to those who had the privilege to know her. October 05, 2022 Rae Ann passion for early children education inspired us all to find joy in our work. Her joyful outlook and infectious laugh inspired us to live our daily lives with love and humor. She will be missed by so many. October 04, 2022 I am deeply saddened to hear of Rae Ann Hirsh's passing. Rae Ann was my teacher in graduate school at Carlow in 2013-15. I was sixty years old; Rae Ann made me feel seen and valued. I will never forget the joy she brought to her love of education. My heartfelt sympathy to her family. October 04, 2022 Peace Dr. Hirsh. Thank you for seeing my potential. October 04, 2022 My thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been touched by Dr. Hirsh in their lives. Nancy Zufall October 04, 2022 I am deeply saddened to hear of Rae Ann's passing. I met Rae Ann when I returned to Carlow for my masters in early childhood. I loved her hands on classes and her ability to make you think. She made learning so much fun even after teaching all day prior to night classes. She was an amazing teacher and I am blessed to have learned from her. Sending thoughts and prayers to all who knew her. October 04, 2022 RaeAnn helped me with scheduling all throughout my Bachelor degree program and offered so much support since I was a non- traditional student! I was also a student in several of her classes! She was a wonderful person and teacher and I am deeply saddened to hear of her passing! I offer my sincere condolences to her entire family! May she test in peace! Kristina Grill October 04, 2022 Rae Ann was one of the first people to help me when I stared my program at Carlow. She was such a wonderful spirit and amazing at making everyone feel valued. She truly touched this world. ~Christin Hudson October 04, 2022 I worked with Rae Ann on many projects in our years together at Carlow. Her smile and warmth will remain with me. May her family find comfort in her legacy. Special condolence wishes to Gabi - in working with you, I have seen your mother's spark shine through in you. -- Caroline Silver October 04, 2022 Thankful to have been inspired by Rae's commitment to positivity, her passion for her work, and her true love of humanity. May she Rest In Peace. Renee Ingel October 04, 2022 Rae Ann was a light in the early childhood field. Her accomplishments to higher education will not go unnoticed, and we are better people because of her. I am blessed to have known her for a short period of time, and her impact will be felt forever. Godspeed Rae Ann-you will be truly missed, but know that your life was a blessing to many. Heartfelt condolences to the family-know that the Early Childhood Higher Consortium of PA was blessed to have her as part of our team. October 04, 2022 My name is Brenda Favish. My deepest sympathy to the family on the passing of Rae Ann. I worked with her at Carlow and she was the most gentle and caring special lady. Always willing to help and teach. May you find comfort and strength at this time. May her memory be a blessing for you all. October 04, 2022 Rae Ann was an amazing educator and in the brief time I knew her, such a positive person who exuded passion in all that she did. I was in awe of her accomplishments, leadership, work ethic, and humility. She and her family are in my thoughts and prayers. October 04, 2022 I too worked with Rae Ann at Carlow on several committees. She was such a lovely colleague. Sending prayers to her family and friends. Kate Tennant October 04, 2022 I am so sad to hear of the passing of Rae. She hired me at Carlow University, and it was truly an honor to work with her and learn from her. She was a kind and understanding person, always willing to take the time to help all students. She had a genuine interest and passion in their success. My sympathies to her family and close friends. She will be greatly missed. -Tricia Ducruet October 04, 2022 So sorry for your loss of this beautiful lady. I am friends with Cindy Hirsh and she has told me what a beautiful souls Rae Ann was. May she Rest In Peace and her family find beauty and peace in her life October 04, 2022 Rae Anne has left her legacy with her beloved family and the many students she taught and mentored. Her Carlow community will honor her memory always! God bless all of you, her family, as you begin your life's journey without her. October 03, 2022 Rae Ann was a superstar among superstars. Her compassion for others, especially children and her dedication to early childhood education has left a lasting legacy that will live on forever because of the lives she touched! She was a blessing to all those who were fortunate enough to have known her kindness, laughter and love. October 03, 2022 This is Roxanne Kloper, a friend of Rae's since we were in first grade together. Rae Ann is sincerely one of the best people on this planet I have had the pleasure to meet, let alone love as a forever friend. She genuinely always had a unique kind of magic and the ability to spread laughter, joy, and love. Earth is honestly better for having had her on it in too many ways I have seen first hand for me to enumerate, and there are many, many more ways I am certain of which I don't even know. It is not surprising because her family is made of the most amazingly good people who are also an honor to know. Both personally and professionally in her too-short life she has accomplished more than most ever dream. Deep condolences, heartfelt prayers, and tons of love to her family and friends. I adored seeing and hearing her light up when she talked about her husband, children, parents, and siblings. Her legacy of love, light, and learning is tangible and permanent. October 03, 2022 So very sad to hear of Rae Ann's passing. Please know that her entire family are in our prayers. Rae Ann was a beautiful person, inside and out. Chuck & Pattie Hytla October 03, 2022 Rae Ann was a ray of sunshine and one of the best professors we've ever had at Carlow. Her passion for teaching never went unnoticed and she went above and beyond to guide learners. She had a warm and safe presence, someone you knew was easily approachable with always a smile on her face. She made a true impact in our lives. She will be missed dearly. October 03, 2022 Rae Ann and I started at Carlow at the same time and I had the honor of being her colleague for 12 years. She was truly an amazing person through and through, an incredible educator who was compassionate and highly competent, and simply one of the best people I know. She made Carlow a better place and made a difference in her students' lives. I will miss her dearly. To Gabi and family: Keeping you in my thoughts and sending hugs during this sad time. October 03, 2022 My name is Antwan Carter. Dr. Hirsh helped me so much! First she helped me fall in love with education. Dr. Hirsh was a professor I could always count on and learn from. She helped me believe in myself. For years, my class went and volunteered at the AIU. Before going to the AIU, we had to plan activities to do with the kids there. I told Dr. Hirsh, I want to do something fun and different. She told me to create something hands on. Now for years, I told Dr. Hirsh I was horrible at making things with my hands. I looked at her and we laughed. I ended up creating a ball ramp using card board boxes. All of the kids at the AIU loved it. I was so proud of myself because I would not have tried if I didn't know Dr. Hirsh believed in me. Dr. Hirsh also sent gifts to my house for my kids which they loved. As I looked in my phone for the laugh picture of have with Dr. Hirsh, I first saw a video of her laughing. My mom was suppose to be taking a picture of us at the celebration of teaching event years back, but she was recording a video. Dr. Hirsh's laugh was genuine. I will never forgot how great of a person Dr. Hirsh was. She made such a difference to my life. Thank you Dr. Hirsh! October 03, 2022 I had the privilege of working with Rae Ann on many of her Carlow University endeavors and presented with her at a State conference. Rae Ann was a proponent of an equity model of education, an innovator (when that word is too loosely applied, she truly embodied new perspectives and fearless exploration), an advocate, and a peacemaker. Rae was fearless in the pursuit of accessible ways for students to interact in their learning environments. She was that rare combination of dreamer and pragmatist. Rae will be missed for all of those attributes and for her ready smile, her infectious giggle, and her sincerity. I wish the family peace in her good memories, love in her family influence, and healing in her legacy. Sincerely, Jackie Smith. October 03, 2022 What a wonderful lady who will leave such an impactful living legacy in so many places, and with so many of us at Carlow University. So thank to have worked with her over the years, and will be keeping the family in our prayers. October 03, 2022 ...such a caring and joyful woman who I have had the pleasure of working with for just one year. My sympathy to all of her family and friends who are experience this loss so deeply. I will bake some cookies in her honor! ~Barbara Johnson October 03, 2022 I am stunned to learn of Rae Ann's passing. As an office staff in the Education Department at Carlow University, until retirement in 2018, my interaction with Rae Ann was quite often. She had a bubbly personality, so passionate about the Early Child Education Program and her students. Her goal was to make sure her students succeeded in obtaining their goal toward teacher certification. Dedicated, Committed, a great educator whose legacy will carry on with every student whose lives she touched. My deepest sympathy to her family and to Carlow University for the loss of a great educator. Rest In Peace, Rae Ann ✝️ ❤️ Anna Falcione October 03, 2022 Hirsh family, I had the opportunity to work alongside Rae Ann at Carlow University. She was a beautiful, gentle, creative soul that was committed to her students. We worked closely together as she worked to develop our Center for 21st. Century Workforce and Innovation. She will be deeply missed by all at Carlow. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Mollie Cecere October 03, 2022 This is John Ridilla. I had the joy of knowing the whole Geary family during their fruitful involvement with Saint Albert the Great Church and the JAL youth group and religious education programs. Rae Ann had an infectious, upbeat presence. She was a positive influence on all and a joy to be around, including our mission trips to build homes in Kentucky . Please accept condolences for this great loss. Know that all of her birth and married family will be in my prayers. Next spring I will name one of my tomato plants after this very good woman. I hope the tomato plant will be as fruitful as Rae Ann...... October 03, 2022 There are no words to describe how sad I am upon hearing about Rae Ann's passing. She was one in a million , smart, kind, compassionate, fun and if you were lucky enough to know her, you were blessed. It isn't a surprise though, her family are the most wholesome people I know. She accomplished more in her short life than most people ever do. It must be true" the good die young" because she was as good as it gets. The world is a better place because she was here. Rest Easy until we meet again. Contact Us to have your link and message added here. Please fill out the form below. We will contact suitable submissions with further details.Rae Ann Hirsh
June 02, 1971 - September 30, 2022
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