Ginny moved to the middle school in 1985, also my first year there.

My first vivid memories of Ginny came when she was the middle school cheerleading coach and I was the middle school basketball coach. Cheerleading then had a robust squad, no doubt largely because of Ginny’s popularity.

Please indulge me as I ask Ginny to join me, at least in spirit, for one last cheer:

"I say Ransom; you say Raider. Ransom. Raider! Ransom. Raider! I say blue; you say green. Blue. Green! Blue. Green!"

Another early memory for me of Ginny is when she would bring her baby Joey to work. I remember Ginny caring for him in the faculty workroom while making copies. Joey is now in his 30s, an RE grad, and a successful lawyer at a very prestigious law firm downtown (Joseph J. Onorati ’03, Stearns Weaver Miller).

“You have been the example of what all caring teachers can be for their students, and your legacy will live in all of us whose lives you touched.” – Chryso Pefkaros Katsoufis ’98, Lambros Katsoufis ’92 and Zoe Katsoufis ’24, all of whom were taught by Onorati.

I remember being on the roof of Ginny’s house with Don Kappelman and many other faculty members, repairing it after Hurricane Andrew.

I remember meetings in 1991 and 1992 with John Lewis, Betty Park, and fellow coordinators Ginny and George Kasyan, Jackie Collaso and the late Margaret Fitzgerald to plan our new sixth grade. We were deciding things the old-fashioned way, by our gut instincts, and weren’t sure how things would work out. At the first-quarter advisee parent conferences, all of my advisees’ parents were ecstatic, almost unanimously saying it was their child’s best educational experience. Thirty years later, I can safely say, things worked out pretty well.

Ginny taught nearly every subject in math and computer science since arriving from Trenton State College. She oversaw the middle school math team for decades, and was deeply involved in St. Alban’s Day, the Toy Store, and myriad other service efforts. She was the Florida Mathcounts Coach of the Year in 2016-17, and she won the school’s Arthur Moses Faculty Award in 1999.

Now I’d like to quote some colleagues:

Shelly Stamler, former Assistant Head of the Middle School and Academic Dean: “Without a doubt Mrs. Onorati has been the consummate Ransom Everglades faculty member. It would be enough if she were just the gold standard for what a mathematics teacher should be, but that has not been only what she is all about. She has led and taken part in the events that make the world a better place and events that give the school so much spirit. I can’t imagine St. Alban’s Day or Spirit Week without her planning and enthusiasm.  I know how much she will be missed by faculty and students alike. Ginny, I want you to know how much I enjoyed working with you and how much I appreciated your hard work and dedication to the school. I wish you a much-deserved rest from the daily rigors of school, and hope that you enjoy every minute of your retirement.”

Ricky Lambert, former faculty member and dean: “If I could pass along a message for Ginny, it would be a great big thank you for supporting, inspiring, and mentoring the teachers under her wings just as she treated her students, allowing us all to be creative, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes to become better with experience. She treated everyone with respect and kindness, looking after her students and colleagues beyond their tenure at RE. She was always ready for a new adventure on trips, Spirit Week events, and alumni events. It is hard to wrap my head around the idea of RE without her. I know she will be missed dearly.”

George Gaskin, former middle school faculty member: “How can you condense into a speech what someone like Ginny has meant to a school like Ransom Everglades? She was the embodiment of kindness, professionalism, good cheer, encouragement, goodness and true friendship. When anyone ever needed a helping hand, she was always there. It will be difficult to get used to talking about Ransom Everglades without Ginny. Watching her example made me a better teacher and a better person.”

Jody Salzinger, Middle School English Coordinator, offered a short poem:

 

Greg Siegler, Director of Student Activities and STEM Department faculty member: “Not only has Mrs. Onorati always been the consummate math teacher, but she has always been a prime example of a faculty member active in every aspect of school life. She has spent years coordinating the math club. She has directed many community-service projects, from something we called the Builders Club years ago to the Thanksgiving basket drive that we still do. She has helped to run countless St. Alban’s Days and she has helped run many Spirit Weeks, working with the judges and keeping track of all the data to keep tabs on scores. While you didn’t get to see it this year, we have watched Mrs. Onorati running into the gym on the last day of Spirit Week to hand off the final results to the judges. She runs in slow motion and we all imagine the theme of Chariots of Fire playing. Mrs. Onorati made sure that Pi Day was always an event. She has chaperoned countless field trips, taking eighth graders to San Francisco as well as taking middle school students to Islands of Adventure, Rapids Water Park, and more. You may not know this, but Mrs. Onorati is the ultimate proofreader. She can catch any error in a comment, a report card or in an email. She has that kind of eye for detail. I believe she is also the fastest typist on campus!”

“I am overwhelmed. It has been an honor to be a part of this amazing school and to work with so many talented and caring colleagues and students over the years.” – Ginny Onorati

Cathi Leibinger, Middle School Band Director and music teacher: “Ginny has been the best trip chaperone anyone could ever want. Whether on a bus to Orlando with middle school band students or on a plane to San Francisco with eighth graders, Ginny always appeared to be having more fun than the students.”

Greg Noblet, middle school history and social sciences faculty: “Ginny has been great to our family. She knew we had no family here and acted as a surrogate grandmother. She would drive the kids home from daycare and give them snacks for the ride home. She would babysit for free and watch our dog when we were out of town.”

I myself have many fond memories of Ginny traveling with me on field trips to Boston, Philadelphia, Williamsburg, Va., and Washington, D.C.

Forty-seven years of teaching is a record that few teachers anywhere can match. And now, Ginny, in my mind, you join Dan Bowden and Mike Stokes on the Mount Rushmore of RE teachers. 

    One last cheer – this one is for everyone.

    We used to say “Hey all you Raider fans, stand up and clap your hands.”

    I’m going to ask all of you now:

    “Hey all you Ginny fans, stand up and clap your hands.”