Obituary

Obituary of Teresita R. Echaniz

May 23, 2023

Teresita R. Echaniz

Teresita was born in Havana, Cuba and arrived in the U.S., as a refugee, in 1961. She lived with her parents in Flushing, N.Y.  Tere attended Barnard College where she majored in Mathematics. She was a trailblazer for women entering the math and computer science industry. She was the only woman in her college physics and math classes she needed to take at the then all-men’s Columbia University. She had a brilliant mind and loved sharing it with others.

In July of 1973 she married Paul Echaniz and had two wonderful daughters., Ana and Maria, who both attended The Epiphany School.  She is also the grandmother of four beautiful grandchildren.

Her professional career included work with the National Bureau of Economic Research, three airline companies, Oppenheimer, and New York Life Insurance Co. After obtaining an MBA with concentration in information systems at Baruch College, she became a professor there. Teaching was one of her favorite professions.

After she retired, she continued contributing to her communities for over a decade as a volunteer for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and as a board member of the Beattie-Powers Place in Catskill, NY.

She was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, and was also very loved by her family and friends. She was a fervent believer in justice and proudly wore her label as a refugee from Cuba. Her warmth and caring spanned many, and her spirited sense of humor made many bellies giggle. These two characteristics shone even in her last days, as she was often pegged as hospital staff's "favorite patient"; with nurses visiting her even when she was no longer on their caseloads. May her spirit continue to shine through all of us.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Beattie-Powers Place, where Tere participated on the board for over a decade (https://www.beattiepowers.org/donate), or to Al Otro Lado https://alotrolado.org an organization that supports refugees.

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