The George Peabody Legacy Award is presented by the Peabody Education Foundation to recognize and honor the educators and philanthropists from within the community who work to provide a lifetime of contributions to our educational system. It is an honor to recognize educators who have gone above and beyond to make a lasting difference in the lives of their students. In the classroom they are both learners and facilitators of learning. They attend to the social and emotional needs of their students making a lasting, positive impact by providing a progressive learning atmosphere meeting the needs of every, individual child.
Congratulations to our 2024 George Peabody Legacy Award Recipients!
The Peabody Education Foundation is pleased to announce the names of this year’s George Peabody Legacy Award Recipients! This award was created to recognize and honor the educators and philanthropists from within the community who work to provide a lifetime of contributions to our educational system. Nominations for this award were solicited from the public and selected by a nomination committee.
In total, this year we selected six (6) recipients to receive this honor from the many nominations that we received:
- The Honorable Peter A. Torigian – (Posthumously)
- Jill Houlden – (Teaching)
- John (Buddy) Manning – (Retired)
- Patricia Morneau – (Retired)
- Mary Winifred McCarthy – (Retired)
- Dr. Charles Milton Burnett – (Retired)
The nominated person has met the following criteria:
Has had a lasting impact on Education
Effects change for the good of the people over a significant period of time
Is an active member in the Peabody Community
Tireless advocate for the betterment of Peabody students
Lives or works in Peabody
About our 2024 Recipients …
The Honorable Peter A. Torigian (Posthumously)
Mayor Torigian spearheaded the creation of the Peabody Education Council (known today as the Peabody Education Foundation) in 1985. At that time, Mayor Torigian felt there was a large gap between what the school budget could provide and what the students needed. His original idea has grown and developed over the years into a tremendous community resource. His guidance and extreme love for the school children of Peabody remains prevalent in the hearts of the PEF Board of Directors. The PEF administers a variety of programs/events, including the Grants Program, the Mental Wellness Initiative, Peabody Cares, and the Cara E. Murtagh Memorial Scholarship.
Mayor Torigian’s enthusiasm remains with all of us and has inspired the PEF to make significant strides to continually offer programs to encourage creativity and inspiration in Peabody’s students. Mayor Torigian was a tireless advocate and relentless champion for the improvement of Peabody Public Schools, dedicating his life to enriching the lives of students and contributing immeasurably to the city he loved. It is an honor to present the family of Mayor Peter Torigian with a George Peabody Legacy Award.
Dr. Charles Milton Burnett
Dr. Burnett worked for the Peabody Public Schools for thirty-eight (38) years. He began his career teaching math to 7th-grade students before advancing to instruct high school math. Some years later, he moved into an administrative role to support teachers and students. Milt was always fair and inclusive when working with students or teachers. He was instrumental in moving Peabody schools into the technology age. Milt became Superintendent in 2006 and participated in the push to bring the Simon Youth Foundation to the North Shore Mall.
The mission of the Simon Youth Foundation is to foster and improve educational opportunities, career development, and life skills that transform the lives of at-risk youth. The Simon Youth Academy in Peabody has achieved a one hundred percent (100%) graduation rate and has been a tremendous asset to our community. Milt continues to attend their graduation yearly. He was also instrumental in developing a strong instructional programming approach for the Peabody schools. He is an educator who remains deeply involved in community activities, currently serving as a guest reader for the PEF, and has consistently proven to be a tireless advocate for the improvement of Peabody public schools and the well-being of our children.
Jill Houlden
Jill Houlden is a third-grade teacher at the McCarthy School. She began her teaching career at St. John’s School in Peabody with our beloved Superintendent Cara Murtagh in 1997. Jill left St. John’s and spent a few years at the Witchcraft School in Salem, but eventually moved back to the Welch School in 2014. Working with Jill, it is easy to see how dedicated she is every single day. Jill crafted the idea of making blankets for students in need while working at the Welch School and opted to do it for students at the McCarthy School when she transferred. In the fall of 2023, Jill thought it would be nice to make blankets for students in need across the district. She sought funding from the PEF for the blanket project and swiftly organized a community-wide effort to create and deliver blankets as Christmas gifts for K-12 students in need.
Jill is also known for her passion for teaching her students about George Peabody, inspiring them to ‘be like George’ with enthusiasm. She brings this education to her students yearly and excites them to learn about philanthropy and giving back to your community. She was also the brains behind the PEF Birthday Book Program. This district wide program was originally started at the Welch school in Jill’s third grade classroom. It was so well received that the PEF adopted the idea and funded it for all elementary schools throughout the city. Jill always puts the needs of her students first. She is a tireless advocate for the betterment of Peabody schools and remains a positive influence on her students and the community in which she lives.
Mary Winifred McCarthy
Mary grew up in Peabody, attended St. John’s elementary school and graduated from Peabody Veterans Memorial High School in 1971. Her career began as a social worker while working toward receiving a master’s degree. Mary decided to enter the field of education and became a social studies teacher at the Higgins Middle School. She worked diligently to engage her students in the classroom with meaningful lessons that sparked interest in learning history. Mary is a true lover of history and imparts that knowledge within her classroom.
Eventually, Mary moved onto PVMHS. She immediately became an asset to the history department with her teaching style and expertise. Her classroom was always lively and engaging. The atmosphere was enlightening, energizing, and full of students who admired their teacher because she is genuine, honest, and cares deeply about the success of her students. Mary set lofty expectations and encouraged her students to achieve academic excellence. She goes above and beyond to meet students needs in a positive learning environment. Mary also worked diligently with her Uncle Frank and Aunt Pat to nominate deserving students for the Frank & Patricia O’Keefe Scholarship to UMass Amherst. Even in retirement, Mary remains dedicated to Peabody students, investing countless hours interviewing candidates, their teachers, and guidance counselors to select the most deserving scholarship recipients. Two of the scholarship recipients are now teaching at PVMHS.
John "Buddy" Manning
Mr. Manning was a long time Peabody educator who began his career teaching social studies at the Welch School. He eventually transitioned to the Higgins Middle School where he shared his passion for social studies with students through engaging and inspiring activities. Mr. Manning was instrumental in building a community of learners. He organized numerous field days and special activities, giving students the chance to collaborate and develop new skills. He also originated the infamous yearly trips to Washington DC! Mr. Manning made a bigger impact on students as a Guidance Counselor at the Middle School. He helped students develop organizational skills and provided support through tutoring, counseling, and being a compassionate listener whenever they needed one. He was consistently engaging and a dedicated advocate for his students.
Mr. Manning played a pivotal role in maintaining the exceptional teacher morale at Higgins Middle School for decades. Colleagues fondly remember his steak and lobster thank-you dinners, which fostered a sense of camaraderie, turning coworkers into friends. As a mentor, he led by example, demonstrating professionalism and a passion for learning and teaching, while reminding everyone that they were part of a united academic community.
Patricia Morneau
Pat was a special education teacher for developmentally disabled students. She began her career at Kennedy Junior High School as one of the first special education teachers in the district. When the junior highs merged, Mrs. Morneau spent many years at the Higgins Middle School. She designed curriculum and community activities that engaged her students and taught them life skills. For many summers, she worked for the Peabody Recreation Department with these students to maintain their skills and build community friendships. Pat was a mentor to other new special education teachers in the district.
She was famous for the unique events she would coordinate with her students – morning munchies, delivering newspapers, and the special St. Patrick’s Day meal where students would cook and serve meals to staff members. Pat was a phenomenal colleague and team member. As a retired teacher, Pat continues to help often in all Peabody schools while working in the main offices when they are shorthanded. Pat is a tireless advocate for the betterment of Peabody schools and students and is truly deserving of all that the George Peabody Legacy Award stands for.
About George Peabody
George Peabody was a successful, self-educated entrepreneur who became the world’s first international philanthropist. He provided benefactions in his own lifetime of which many continue more than 150 years later to benefit people in both the United States and England. George Peabody also supported universal education, establishing libraries and lyceums for the education of all – men, women and adults. He aided the poor by endowing low income housing in London and promoting education in the south after the Civil War. He also supported the sciences, exploration and innovation, creating museums of archaeology, natural history, and science. George Peabody’s legacy is recognized both in London and in our City of Peabody with great pride and admiration.
J. Henry Higgins Middle School Mural
On January 16th, 2020, the Peabody Education Foundation revealed our new mural at the J. Henry Higgins Middle School honoring the recipients of our annual George Peabody Legacy Award. The mural recognizes the educators and philanthropists from within our community who have provided a lifetime of contribution to our educational system. The plan will be to add new recipient names to the mural as the years go on. We hope that this new mural serves as a reminder of the dedication and impact that our GPLA recipients have provided to the education and students of Peabody!
2024 Inductees
The Honorable Peter A. Torigian (Posthumously), Jill Houlden, John “Buddy” Manning, Patricia Morneau, Mary Winifred McCarthy, Dr. Charles Milton Burnett
2023 Inductees
Karlyne L. Furnari, Fran Gallugi, David Gravel, Keri Kinnaly, Rosemary Slattery, Mark Whiting
2022 Inductees
Eric M. Buckley, Ellen O. Burke, Michalene E. Hague, Judith M. McVann, Mark “Metro” Metropolis , Linda S. Robbins
2021 Inductees
Richard Carey, Judith “Judie” Maniatis, Jean Marie Marchetti, Joanne Pantapas, Don “Raph” Raphael, Jon Simmons
2020 Inductee
Ms. Cara E. Murtagh
2019 Inductees
Carol Isles, Maria Ferri, George Ernest Osborne, Jack Marshall, Jody Pedro
2018 Inductees
Dorothea Kuchinsky, Elaine Metropolis, Louis Surman, Victor Passacantilli, Cynthia Moore, Karen McGovern
2017 Inductees
Lorraine Benoit, Sister Christine Gubisch, Elaine Marshall, June Kessel, Dr. Donna Costa
2016 Inductees
Jan Anderson, David McGeney, Gerald Hallinan, Janyce Harkins
Warren Waugh
2015 Inductees
Edward Sapienza, Phyllis Rantz, Hubert McVann, Maryellen Flynn, Camille Bartlett, Ellen Endslow
2014 Inductees
Margaret Murphy, Joseph O’Malley, Robert Cavanaugh, Andrew Metropolis, Carolyn McGray, Elaine Espindle
2013 Inductees
John E. Murtagh, John “Jack” Murtagh, Helen Apostolides, Frank Hardy, Tom Hosman, James Geanoulis
Peabody Education Foundation
The Peabody Education Foundation provides unique programs and advanced technology to thousands of students and teachers who might otherwise not enjoy such experiences due to budget constraints.
P.O. Box 233
Peabody, MA 01960
info@peabodyedfoundation.org