Founder of LI nonprofit SBPLI dies at age 84
Fred Breithut, founder of the School-Business Partnerships of Long Island Inc., died last week at the age of 84.
The Brooklyn-born World War II veteran founded SBPLI in 1984, one year before retiring from his teaching position at the Sewanhaka Central High School District. Breithut had recognized that there was a gap between skills needed in Long Island’s business community and the island’s workforce as prepared by Long Island schools. He started the nonprofit organization in order to close that gap, and under his 25-year leadership, more than 100 school-business partnerships were formed.
Breithut’s first teaching job, which he took in 1949 after graduating from Adelphi College, was at the Washington Street School in Franklin Square. He taught in the Sewanhaka Central High School District until the end of his teaching career in 1985, even after moving away from the area. Breithut and his wife, Rosetta Copeland, lived in West Hempstead from about 1950 to 1967, and then relocated to Melville.
When Carey High School opened up in Franklin Square in the 1950s, Breithut became a teacher there and went on to become chairman of the school’s social studies department. Later in his teaching career, Breithut served as an assistant principal at New Hyde Park, Floral Park and Sewanhaka high schools.
Although he retired from teaching, Breithut never stopped wanting to serve Long Island’s children. He continuously worked to expand and improve SBPLI. “This is what Fred sought to accomplish throughout his life,” said his daughter, Claudia Nolan. “He must have impacted tens of thousands of young people, helping them prepare for life after the classroom.”
When Breithut first brought the robotics competition to Long Island, eight teams took part. This year, 48 teams, including several from New York City, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland, participated in the Long Island Regional. Also this year, SBPLI award the first-ever Fred Breithut Scholarship in the founder’s honor.
To develop the science and technology interests of younger students, Breithut establish the FIRST LEGO League, a partnership between FIRST and The LEGO Group. It was considered the “little league” of the FRC. Since its establishment, the FLL’s number of participating teams has grown from 13 to 92.
In 2006, Breithut was recognized for his community service and presented with the Execuleaders Lifetimes Award for leadership in the nonprofit sector. A year later, he was inducted into the Long Island Volunteer Hall of Fame as a founder. In 2009, Breithut was a semifinalist for the Energizer Hall of Fame Award.
According to his daughter, it all speaks to his relentless, determined character. “You could never say to him ‘You cannot do it’ because he would find a way to get it down,” Nolan said. “He liked to march to his own song. He was very independent, but he was also very sensitive and very perceptive.”
Former students, friends and colleagues were greatly saddened by Breithut’s April 26 death.
“My heart is heavy at this very sad news,” said Dr. Mary Ellen Freely, and SBPLI board member and associate professor at St. John’s University. She met Breithut in 1988 when she worked at the Malverne Union Free School District. “I have always admired his commitment to our students and our schools. His leadership will be sorely missed.”
Patricia Kriss-Sullivan, also an SBPLI board member and the superintendent of the Hauppauge School District, echoed that sentiment. “There are no words to express the sadness at the loss of this great man. He was a true champion of our youth.”
Breithut, whose funeral was held on April 28 at the A.L. Jacobsen Funeral Home in Huntington Station, is survived by his wife, Rosetta, daughters Barbara McDonald and Claudia Nolan, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
