'Beloved' Principal Leaves Lasting Mark on Chatham Schools

The Chatham Township Committee declared June 19, 2014 as Ralph J. Pesapane Day for his four decades of service to the school district.

Considered "one of the most beloved principals in the history of the School District of the Chathams," Pesapane is retiring after leaving a lasting impression on those he's encountered.

Pesapane was first hired in 1972 as reading specialist for Lafayette Middle School and went on to become the director of the gifted program, district test coordinator and assistant principal, according to the Township Committee's proclamation.

Pesapane became the principal of Lafayette School following the merger of the Chatham Borough and Chatham Township school districts and eventually became assistant superintendent and principal of Milton Avenue School.

For the past 16 years, Pesapane "has served as a role model to all and made certain learning was fun" as principal of Southern Boulevard School, according to the proclamation.

"Ralph has left an indelible mark on Southern Boulevard School, not just on the murals in the hallways, or in the traditions he has established, but in the hearts and minds of all those he has interacted with over the years," the proclamation reads.