Jefferson High Teacher Dies After Battle With Cancer

RoseAnn Krygier performed every one of her teaching duties, from writing a mid-term exam to arranging for a portable planetarium to visit the school, with the utmost of care and professionalism, according to Jefferson Township High School prinicpal Karl Mundi.

"Mrs. Krygier was the consummate teacher," Mundi said, as he remembered the high school Earth Science and Astronomy teacher, who died last Saturday after a battle with cancer.

"That portable planetarium was difficult to come by, but there wasn't a year that it missed our high school, and it was all because of RoseAnn," Mundi said. "She always wanted the students to have the absolute best educational experience that they could. She loved that they could actually see the formations of the stars that they'd talked about in class."

Krygier, 41, of Rockaway Township, died Saturday after a long battle with uterine cancer, at Compassionate Care Hospice at Saint Clare's Hospital in Dover.

Krygier was very involved with the students, according to Mundi, serving as a class advisor for many years.

"We knew RoseAnn was facing a tough battle, and we're deeply saddened by the loss of one of our colleagues," Jefferson Superintendent Joseph Kraemer said. "We were really hoping she would be back with us this year."

Krygier loved the New York Giants and was a season ticket holder for many years, according to her obituary.

"No matter how the Giants were doing, her room was always decorated for every game, all season long, and we all knew how the team was doing," Mundi said.

She went to many Bruce Springsteen concerts and Broadway Musicals with her friends and also loved Long Beach Island, and her trips to Disney World, her obituary said.

Krygier is survived by her husband John of 11 years; her five year old son Garrett; her parents Joe and Gloria Salzarulo of Rockaway; and her mother and father in law Veronica and James Gavigan of Holland Township.

A memorial visitation will he held Thursday at Tuttle Funeral Home, Randolph, from 2 - 4 p.m. The Memorial Service will follow at 4 p.m. A memorial mass will be held Saturday at the Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption in Roselle Park at noon (908-245-1107).

In lieu of flowers donations may be made in her memory to JTEA Philanthropic Fund, 1000 Weldon Rd., Oak Ridge, NJ 07438 attn. Sharon Ciliento, or the ASPCA, Memorial/Honor Giving, 520 Eighth Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10018, or the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718. 

Were you a colleague of Mrs. Krygier, or a former student? Share your memories of her in the comments section below.