Celia M. Guidera, middle school reading specialist at Lindley Academy Charter School, has died at 36
She taught students in Philadelphia and Chester County, and appreciated how important reading is to educational success. “She was a deeply beloved daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, and friend,” her family said.
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Celia M. Guidera, 36, of Philadelphia, middle school reading specialist at Lindley Academy Charter School and former kindergarten and elementary schoolteacher in Chester County and Philadelphia, died Monday, June 3, of glioblastoma at her parents’ home in West Chester.
An avid reader and honor roll student as a teen in the West Chester Area School District, and a 2016 summa cum laude graduate with a master’s degree in education from West Chester University, Ms. Guidera was in her second school year at Lindley Academy. She joined the School District of Philadelphia in 2017 and taught kindergarten, first, second, and fifth grades for five years at Potter-Thomas and Laura H. Carnell Elementary Schools.
She moved into middle school classes and focused on reading for the specialist team at Lindley, her family said, because she also excelled in working with older students and contributing to their measurable success. “You’ve made a huge impact on my life,” a student at Lindley said in an online tribute. “Thanks to you, I’m in seventh grade on an eighth-grade reading level.”
Her mother, Lesley, said: “She really found her passion.”
Earlier, Ms. Guidera taught preschool in Israel and was a substitute teacher in the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District and for the Chester County Intermediate Unit educational service agency. She had always talked of teaching, her family said, and her personality and natural resilience made her a perfect fit for working with children.
“She brought an abundance of patience, a deep well of empathy, and indefatigable optimism to the classroom,” her family said in a tribute.
Ms. Guidera said in her LinkedIn profile that she sought to create “fun and effective learning experiences” for her students. She liked special events at school and getting away on class trips. Difficulties rarely slowed her down.
“I was always so proud of her,” said her father, Michael. “She had the hardest job.” Her mother said: “She had a lot of grit and could be stubborn about things she really wanted to do. It was who she was.”
Celia Marin Guidera was born April 14, 1988, in Reading, Pa. She made the honor roll at Stetson Middle School, graduated from West Chester Henderson High School in 2006, and earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood and elementary education at Cabrini University in 2010.
Outside the classroom, she liked music, hanging out with family and friends at the beach, hiking the Schuylkill River Trail, and exploring the city. “Whenever you needed a buddy to join in for something, she was always there and had a smile to greet you,” a friend said in a tribute.
She read historical fiction and enjoyed period movies. Les Misérables was one of her favorite works.
She grew up close to her parents and sisters Julia and Olivia, and received treatment for a brain tumor as a child. She was gentle yet tough her entire life, her mother said. She was empathetic yet determined, creative and practical.
Her sister Olivia said: “She was kind and sweet and strong.” A former student said in a tribute: “She’s made a lot of days better.”
In addition to her parents and sisters, Ms. Guidera is survived by other relatives.
A Jewish memorial service is to be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the Church of the Loving Shepherd, 1066 S. New St., West Chester, Pa. 19382.
Donations in her name may be made to Philabundance, 3616 S. Galloway St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19148.