EAST PROVIDENCE — The East Providence School Department and the larger community was saddened to hear of the recent passing of former district teacher and School Committee member Karen Oliveira. The sister, wife, mother and grandmother died at the age of 64 on September 5.

Oliveira spent 33 years as an instructor of Mathematics in the EP system before retiring in 2018. In addition, she served two years as an elected member of the East Providence School Committee from 2019-2020 where she helped craft policy and provided a teacher's insight into the plans for the new East Providence High School building that opened in the summer of 2021 with the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic still in effect.

The body on which she served held a moment of silence during its Tuesday, Sept. 12, meeting while School Committee members who knew Oliveira offered brief, though poignant, remembrances.

"She as a lovely woman," said body chair and Ward 3 representative Jenni Furtado, who filled the district seat left vacant when Oliveira opted not to seek re-election in the fall of 2020.

Furtado continued, "She was very passionate about education and a really great mentor. I only knew her for short period of time, but I was very honored to spend that short amount of time with her...Karen will be greatly missed by many people in the community, including myself."

Ward 2 member Max Brandel joined the Committee following the same 2020 election, so he did not serve with Oliveira, but he did have her as a teacher at Riverside Middle School a little over a decade ago.

"I did have her as a teacher in sixth grade at RMS, and I can definitely attest to the fact that she was an incredible teacher who was very passionate for all her students and did the best she could to teach every student, make the subject of Math as fun as possible," said Brandel. "To this day, it's one of my favorite classes I had at RMS and that's a tribute to Karen Oliveira and the great teacher that she was."

Ward 4 member Jessica Beauchaine did serve on the Committee with Oliveira, who helped craft policy while doing so with a keen wit and wry sense of humor.

"I was very lucky to know her," said Beauchaine, who noted her son was also taught by Oliveira at RMS. "I was on the School Committee with her during COVID when Google 'Meets' were all the thing and she could just make you laugh and laugh."

"Her name (imprint) is on this building," Beauchaine added, referring to the new EPHS structure in which the School Committee now meets and Oliveira's input into its design during her time on the body.

Beauchaine also noted the public showing of affection for Oliveira that took place in Riverside last week, saying, "It was lovely to see the outpouring of love and support from this community."