Ms. Teresa Gonzalez

Teresa will be missed alot,she was a beautiful lady 🌹so sorry for your loss

Teresa was deeply respected by those who knew her at Cambridge Ave. She was a gentle loving caring soul who always had time to chat and share . She lived well and with passion and shared her love of life and work freely. We had similar paths of work and felt a bond of leadership and understanding . I will miss that connection. And we had a mutual love of painting that was light and joy filled. Blessed to have crossed paths with you Teresa! Many blessings to you and family at this time.

Teresita González deeply loved her family, and very especially her dear sisters, nephews and nieces. She was fortunate to be healthy, active and amazingly productive up to the time of her passing. Not long ago she loved her safari to Africa with family members, especially enjoying her visit with the gorillas. An expert photographer and artist, Teresita’s family and friends enjoyed her beautiful work. Whether it was outstanding photographs of flora, fauna, majestic buildings or people she met through her travels, Teresita portrayed their essence, uniqueness and magic. Most recently, she was assisting UNICEF to help improve and expand preschool education in Uzbekistan. She was deeply worried about the plight of Afghan refugees who live in Uzbekistan, and she was looking forward to returning soon to Uzbekistan. Teresita left us in the prime of her life. She was brilliant, wise, dedicated, expert, compassionate, selfless, and extraordinarily generous. She was an outstanding international leader in the field of early childhood development, with specializations in curriculum development, preschool education, inclusive education, higher education, professional training, national policy planning, and educational research. A proud Mexican to the core, she always excelled in her studies. Teresita held a PhD in Curriculum and Evaluation (University of Toronto), an MA in History and Philosophy (University of Toronto), an MEd in Intercultural Education (University of the Americas, earning a Summa Cum Laude), and she held many professional certificates in fields including conflict resolution, teaching, training, co-operative teamwork and curriculum design. During her life, Teresita worked in East and West Africa; Beirut, Dubai, and Jordan. Palestine in the Middle East; Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in Eastern Europe and Near Asia; many countries of the Latin America region; Vanuatu and the South Pacific Region; China, Pakistan, Thailand in Asia; and Canada, the United States and England. She also worked in refugee camps in Africa, Colombia, Beirut, Jordan, Palestine and Northern Thailand. Fluent in Spanish and English with some Portuguese, she was “at home” everywhere she went because she was gifted in tapping into the essence of humanity in each culture. She developed lifetime friendships everywhere she worked and made instantaneous connections with colleagues, parents and especially young children. Teresita directed various Ministry of Education departments, including the Education, Quality and Accountability Office of Ontario, Canada; and she was a university professor, superintendent of education, school principal, and teacher. She developed and implemented the outstanding and groundbreaking curriculum of Right to Play that was implemented in 20 countries. Teresita was an influential advisor to senior managers in many countries, helping them to plan and implement policies, laws and reforms in varying and complex institutional structures. She managed the development, implementation and evaluation of curriculum resources, with an emphasis on early childhood development, literacy, HIV/AIDS, youth leadership and participatory community development. From 2015 onward, Teresita was a highly valued Senior Fellow of RISE Institute, providing outstanding technical support through UNICEF to many nations, including Albania, Jordan, Kosovo, Montenegro, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Characteristically humble, Teresita was the recipient of the highest Canadian Federal award for her work in equity and community engagement, and she received numerous other awards for curriculum and equity resources. We join Teresita’s family and her numerous friends and colleagues around the world in celebrating her indelible achievements for child development and in deeply mourning her absence. Emily Emily Vargas-Barón, PhD Director, RISE Institute

Tere, my sister of choice, never will you be forgotten. My heart is broken, as we have lost an angel 😇 of the present world, who has continued on to her next journey. May she rest in peace, and be reunited with her beloved mother as per her wishes. My sincere condolences to the bereaved González family, Jessie, Pepe and all your extended family and friends. 💐😔 Marina

I will never forget her. She enriched my life so much. A loss for all of us. My condolences. 💐