| Graduation Year | Faculty |
| Date of Passing | May 15, 2009 |
| About | Ms Gaskin passed away from a stroke and heart complications less than a year after her retirement in 2008. GASKIN JACKSONVILLE, FL - Linda Marcia Gaskin, 63, former Latin Teacher at Ed White High School, entered into rest on Friday, May 15, 2009 at Kindred Hospital North Florida, Green Cove Springs, Florida. The funeral services will be held at 1:30 PM on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at The Hill Baptist Church, Augusta, GA, with the Rev. Dr. Fred Gunter and the Rev. Dr. J. Andrew Menger officiating. Burial will follow at Westover Memorial Park. Miss Gaskin, a native of Augusta, GA, was born March 6, 1946 to the late Alva D. Gaskin, Sr. and the late Margaret Shepherd Gaskin of Augusta, GA. She attended Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin with Honors in 1967, and served as a University Marshal for official school events. She later attended Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL where she received her Master of Arts degree in Classical Languages, Art, and Literature in December 1968. She earned her State Certification in Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL in 2000. She received additional non-degree hours from the University of Florida, Jacksonville University, Kent State University, University of North Florida, Florida Community College at Jacksonville, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She taught high school Latin I-AP, English I-IV, Creative Writing, Composition, Mythology, and Dual Enrollment Humanities in Duval County High Schools for 39Ú years before retiring in June 2008. In recent years she had taught Latin at the University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL. During her years in education, she served 18 years as Foreign Language Department Chairman, Chairman of Southern Association Committees, assisted with master schedule development for department and school, Peer Teacher, School Advisory Council, organized Regional and State Foreign Language/Latin competitions, sponsored local Latin Clubs, wrote curriculum for Latin and guides for Latin and Humanities for Duval County, served on district textbook and Seven Period Day committees, and designed workshop presentations on various subjects related to high school instruction. Miss Gaskin worked with the Florida State Department of Education assisting with development and revisions to the state teacher's exam for Latin, co-chaired task force to report on the state of Foreign Language Teaching in Florida, and assisted in writing the State Middle School Frameworks for Foreign Language. As an Advanced Placement consultant to the Southern Region of The College Board, Atlanta, GA, she conducted workshops throughout the Southeast, wrote and graded the AP Latin Exam for College Board, and organized statewide AP workshops for Florida Foreign Language Association. Her extracurricular activities with her students took her to Regional Latin competitions every year, hosting numerous Regional competitions attracting over 700 Latin students from Northeast Florida. Her students attended State Latin competitions every year, while she served on committees that conducted those state competitions as well as Financial Director of the Florida Junior Classical League. For more than 20 years, she accompanied her best students to the National Latin competitions held in July on various college campuses throughout the US, where they routinely won awards at all three levels. Her professional activities included serving on the Board of Directors for the Florida Foreign Language Association for 18 years (President - 1984, Executive Secretary for 6 years); organized State FFLA Conferences for 7 years; President of the Classical Association of Florida for 2 years; completed training in ESOL, FPMS, and CCT; member of Phi Delta Kappa, Delta Kappa Gamma, the American Classical League, the Classical Association of Florida, the Classical Association of the Middle West and South, and the Vergilian Society; served on Board of Directors of Duval Teachers United; trainer for Girl Scouts of America and the American Red Cross; served as member of Southern Association Visitation Committees; and Presenter for the National Future Educators of America Conference in Washington, DC, 1997. Honors and awards included Florida Latin Teacher of the Year 1984; Edward H. White High School Teacher of the Year 1984; and Finalist for Duval County Teacher of the Year 1984. She enjoyed reading, archaeology, crafts, working with high school Latin Clubs, and travel - touring/study groups to Europe, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Roman Britain, Turkey, Crete, Greek Islands, and Sicily - while serving as a seasoned authoritative guide for tours of Rome and Pompeii through Kent State University and the National Education Travel Council. She presented a seminar on Ancient Roman Construction Materials and Methods at the 2007 National Convention of the Professional Construction Estimators Association in Jacksonville. Survivors include a brother, Alva D. Gaskin, Jr. (Debbie), Evans, GA, a nephew Al D. Gaskin III (Penny), Augusta, GA, a niece Kathy Gaskin, Lincolnville, Maine, a special pet Peppy, and numerous cousins in North and South Carolina. Pallbearers will be Ed Stalnaker, Lee Bedenbaugh, Pat O'Conner, Don Faglier, Phil Boone, and Wilson Folk. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Monday evening, May 18, 2009 from 6:00 until 8:00 PM. Plans are underway for a memorial service in Jacksonville. If so desired, memorials may be made to the Department of Classics at Florida State University, 125 Convocation Way, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1280. |
