Funeral Services, School Closure Announced For Beloved Teacher

GREENPORT, NY — As the North Fork continues to mourn the loss of a beloved teacher and friend, funeral services have been set for Cindy Goldsmith-Agosta, 47, who died suddenly Saturday.

The family will receive friends at the Horton-Mathie Funeral Home, located at 735 1st Street in Greenport, on Wednesday, January 19 between the hours of 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

A funeral mass will be held on Thursday, January 20, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church, located at 3300 Depot Lane in Cutchogue.

Burial will follow at East Marion Cemetery.

In addition, the community will come together to remember Goldsmith-Agosta's bright legacy at a candlelight vigil on Tuesday outside Greenport High School from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

And on Thursday, the Greenport Union Free School District will be closed, said Superintendent Marlon Small: "Mrs. Goldsmith-Agosta’s passing is a great loss to our community and has had a significant impact on our students and staff," he wrote. "In order to give our students and staff the time and space to mourn her passing and celebrate her life, the Greenport School District will be closed on Thursday, January 20."

The school has only closed once before in recent years in memory of a teacher, when Dr. Dennis Claire died in 2004.

Goldsmith-Agosta's family has suggested that memorial donations be made to the North Fork Animal Welfare League, P.O. Box 297, Southold, NY 11971. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

An email with the heartbreaking news was sent by Small.

"I am saddened to inform you that we have lost a member of the Greenport School family. . .Words cannot express how devastated we feel at the passing of someone so special, who has been such a staple in our school community for so many years. Mrs. Goldsmith-Agosta has been an integral part of the Greenport School District. She was not only a member of our faculty, but a parent, a friend, and a former graduate of the Greenport School District. We are simply heartbroken by her untimely passing," he said. "I ask that you keep the family of Mrs. Goldsmith-Agosta in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."

On Tuesday when school reopens, the district's psychologists, social workers, and guidance counselors will be available to support students and staff and "help them navigate this tragic loss," he wrote.