At her NYC DOE retirement dinner in 2010, her brother Chris Sciabarra highlighted one of her favorite quotations, which she often used at commencement exercises. It could just as appropriately speak to her own impact and legacy. Noted historian Rina Swentzell (1939–2015) of Santa Clara Pueblo said: “What we are told as children is that people, when they walk on the land, leave their breath wherever they go. So, wherever we walk, that particular spot on the earth never forgets us, and when we go back to these places, we know that the people who have lived there are in some way still there, and that we can actually partake of their breath and of their spirit.”

Thousands of people – all the students she taught, advised, assisted, or coached; all the teachers, assistant principals, principals, parents, community partners and others with whom she interacted; and of course her cherished family and friends—have been blessed to partake of Ski’s indomitable spirit. Wherever she walked, people will be hard pressed to forget her and her impact on their lives.

While Liz did not have children of her own, she mothered thousands of New York City teenagers, whose lives were forever changed by their encounters with her. As her brother Chris noted, as a caring educator, in the eyes of those teens, Ski flew around New York City with a huge “S” on her chest, which could just as easily have stood for Superwoman as for Ski.

Liz was the daughter of Salvatore Charles Sciabarra and Ann Sciabarra and first in her extended family to receive a college degree. She is survived by her brothers Chris and Carl and sister-in-law Joanne. A public memorial will be held in 2023.