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Fair School arts coordinator Joel Ratner dies at 56
Joel Ratner, an Island Park native, East Meadow resident and beloved Brentwood school district coordinator of music and fine arts, died in his sleep on Feb. 23. He was 56.
Born on May 19, 1958 in Manhattan, Ratner attended Island Park schools and graduated from West Hempstead High School. He received a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate at Hofstra University, and a master’s degree at Queens College.
Ratner became the district coordinator of music and fine arts at Brentwood in 1996. Under his leadership, Brentwood won State marching band championships in 2010, 2007 and 2006. Before that, he was the Band Director of the Pep Band and a music teacher in Mineola schools.
Ratner served as president of the New York State Council of Administrators of Music Education in 2008-2009, and as president of the Suffolk County Music Educators Association in 2000-2001. Starting in 2011, he was a member of the New York State Regents Task Force for Teacher and Principal Effectiveness.
He is survived by his mother, Judie, his wife, Jody, his daughter, Leslie and his son, Eric.
The funeral was held on Feb. 26 at Temple Emanu-El in East Meadow. Memorial donations may be made to the Louis Armstrong House Museum, 34-56 107th St., Corona, NY 11368 or to the Dr. Joel Ratner Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Brentwood High School, 2 Sixth Ave., Brentwood, NY 11717.
