Report by Paula Antolini, March 9, 2019, 11:14AM EDT
Mr. Lawrence Craybas has resigned from the Board of Education of Bethel Public Schools this past week, due to illness. We previously reported that Mr. Craybas is battling leukemia. He is presently being treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
School board vice chair, Melanie O’Brien, will be acting chair until new officers are chosen.
Mr. Craybas, a 39-year Bethel resident, has been Vice Chairman of the Bethel Board of Education for 2 years and Chairman of the Bethel Board of Education for 8 years.
Craybas has been a long time advocate for the Town of Bethel and is a well-respected advocate for the schools. One of Mr. Craybas’ major achievements was his involvement with the Rockwell and Johnson elementary schools renovations which required approval of $65.8 million, which came to fruition with his help.
Mr. Craybas also served on the Board of Directors of the Bethel Visiting Nurses Association for 3 years, is a Community Emergency Response Volunteer for the Bethel Health Department, has served on the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Committee, is a member of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) of the Bethel Office of Emergency Management, and is a Certified Fire Policeman.
Craybas is a retired Sales Executive from General Foods/Kraft Foods with a 28 year career. He is a Business Educator with Business Continuity Planning, and a Eucharistic Minister and Lector at St. Mary’s for 39 years.
Mr. Craybas has been married to his wife Joan for 55 years. They have 4 adult children who graduated from Bethel Schools, and 7 grandchildren.
We wish Mr. Craybas a speedy recovery.
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