Former Lodi Principal Dies At 72

LODI, NJ — A former principal of Columbus School in Lodi and former board member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lower Bergen County passed away last Thursday.

Philip Patire, 72, a lifelong resident of Lodi, also worked 31 years for the Lodi Board of Education and was an educational consultant for iLearn Charter Schools in Fair Lawn, his obituary read.

"Phil Patire will be missed by our community,” Boys & Girls Clubs of Lower Bergen County CEO Joseph Licata told Patch. “He was instrumental in helping the club to establish enrichment-based programs for our members. He was also a member of the board when we expanded to serve children in Hackensack."

Born in Passaic, Patire was a parishioner of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Lodi; he was an "avid fisherman" and loved the New York Yankees.

Patire was also a grandfather of four, a father of three, and the "beloved significant other" to Trish Rubin, of Mahwah, the obituary read.

Funeral services were held Tuesday.

"Our prayers go out to the entire Patire family," the Boys & Girls Clubs said on Facebook. "May he rest in peace."