Obituary

John P. McGrath, West Seneca schools chief;  Jan. 13, 1927 -- July 5, 2011

The Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY)
July 9, 2011

John P. McGrath, longtime superintendent of West Seneca Central School District and a lifelong teacher and educator, died Tuesday in Mercy Hospital. He was 84.

Born in Green Island, he graduated from Watervliet High School and Albany State College, and earned a master's degree in education at Canisius College. He was certified in school business administration and school district administration.

Mr. McGrath taught in Seneca Falls, Pine Plains and Wilson schools, and was the Niagara and Orleans counties area coordinator for Project Innovation, a federally funded program to upgrade education in area schools.

He was the business administrator at Wilson and took a similar position with West Seneca. He was named superintendent in 1968, holding the post until his retirement in 1987.

Mr. McGrath, who was known for his modest and unassuming manner, presided over the rapid expansion of the district. During his tenure, he oversaw the expansion, from about 10,000 students to 16,000, as well as the contraction, down to 8,600 students.

District employees credited him with fostering open communication by distributing School Board notes to faculty and directing a collaborative faculty-administration initiative to improve teacher evaluation.

Mr. McGrath was an avid reader with an interest in history. A sports enthusiast, he played basketball in high school and college and coached basketball at Wilson.

He was a member of the Niagara Frontier, South Shore and Bethlehem Management golf clubs. He also was an active member of the Cazenovia Senior Men's Club and a member of the Hustlers bowling team.

Survivors include his wife, the former Margaret Moriarty; three sons, Thomas, Peter and Dermot; two daughters, Laura and Barbara; a stepdaughter, Kathleen Jaquin; and sister, Zita Paone.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9 a.m. today in Queen of Heaven Catholic Church, 4220 Seneca St.