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DenverPost.com - Deaf child put woman on teaching path
Patt Rubano of Applewood hoped to be a stockbroker, but when she learned one of her daughters, Ann Marie Rubano, was deaf, she became a teacher of the deaf.
Rubano, 77, who died of leukemia Dec. 13, spent 20 years teaching the deaf, the hearing impaired and developmentally disabled deaf students.
And she volunteered hundreds more hours in organizations that helped people. Her daughter Carolyn Krawszyk of Austin, Texas, called it "chronic volunteerism."
Rubano "was all about other people" Krawszyk said. So when the University of Northern Colorado recognized Rubano as an "honored alumnae" in 1986, she was "mortified that she had to ride on the back of a convertible in the college homecoming parade."
One of Rubano's proudest achievements was planning and raising money for Forward House, the state's first group home for deaf developmentally disabled adults. It opened in 1986.
In retirement, Rubano's volunteerism "picked up steam," her daughter said. It extended to the Association for Retarded Citizens, Center for Deafness, Institute for International Education, Wheat Ridge Historical Society, League of Women Voters, Alzheimer's Association and Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church.
"She had a lot of hurdles in her life, but she saw them as opportunities," Krawszyk said.
Patricia Ward was born June 7, 1929, in Sterling and lived in several states because of her father's job transfers. She graduated from high school in Seattle. Because there were four Patricias in her class, the teacher used spelling differences to delineate between them. Thus Ward became Patt instead of Pat, and she continued using that spelling.
Rubano became a tutor interpreter in Jefferson County. After getting her bachelor's degree in deaf education and her master's in special education at the University of Northern Colorado, she taught the hearing impaired and deaf in Lakewood.
Raising four children by herself, she earned extra money being a track and gym coach at Lakewood Junior High.
She became an "itinerant teacher" for Jefferson County, visiting 18 schools at least once or twice each week. Some kids signed and others read lips. Rubano could do both.
She also managed to take her children on six-week trips to various parts of the U.S.
She married Decio Rubano in 1953. They later divorced.
In addition to her daughters, she is survived by two sons, John Rubano of Los Angeles and Niel Rubano of Sandpoint, Idaho; four grandchildren; her sister, Eileen Ploumpis of Washington, D.C.; and her brother, John Ward of Klamath Falls, Ore.
Patt Rubano of Applewood hoped to be a stockbroker, but when she learned one of her daughters, Ann Marie Rubano, was deaf, she became a teacher of the deaf.
Rubano, 77, who died of leukemia Dec. 13, spent 20 years teaching the deaf, the hearing impaired and developmentally disabled deaf students.
And she volunteered hundreds more hours in organizations that helped people. Her daughter Carolyn Krawszyk of Austin, Texas, called it "chronic volunteerism."
Rubano "was all about other people" Krawszyk said. So when the University of Northern Colorado recognized Rubano as an "honored alumnae" in 1986, she was "mortified that she had to ride on the back of a convertible in the college homecoming parade."
One of Rubano's proudest achievements was planning and raising money for Forward House, the state's first group home for deaf developmentally disabled adults. It opened in 1986.
In retirement, Rubano's volunteerism "picked up steam," her daughter said. It extended to the Association for Retarded Citizens, Center for Deafness, Institute for International Education, Wheat Ridge Historical Society, League of Women Voters, Alzheimer's Association and Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church.
"She had a lot of hurdles in her life, but she saw them as opportunities," Krawszyk said.
Patricia Ward was born June 7, 1929, in Sterling and lived in several states because of her father's job transfers. She graduated from high school in Seattle. Because there were four Patricias in her class, the teacher used spelling differences to delineate between them. Thus Ward became Patt instead of Pat, and she continued using that spelling.
Rubano became a tutor interpreter in Jefferson County. After getting her bachelor's degree in deaf education and her master's in special education at the University of Northern Colorado, she taught the hearing impaired and deaf in Lakewood.
Raising four children by herself, she earned extra money being a track and gym coach at Lakewood Junior High.
She became an "itinerant teacher" for Jefferson County, visiting 18 schools at least once or twice each week. Some kids signed and others read lips. Rubano could do both.
She also managed to take her children on six-week trips to various parts of the U.S.
She married Decio Rubano in 1953. They later divorced.
In addition to her daughters, she is survived by two sons, John Rubano of Los Angeles and Niel Rubano of Sandpoint, Idaho; four grandchildren; her sister, Eileen Ploumpis of Washington, D.C.; and her brother, John Ward of Klamath Falls, Ore.