Rheta (Rookie) Fern Hirsch, Ph.D

Rookie passed away on December 9, 2020, after a long series of illnesses culminating in COVID 19. She was a brilliant, loving, beautiful lady who was a major contributor to our current knowledge of Autism, Speech and Language Pathology, and teaching approaches for Special Education. She brought in innovative programs that were just beginning to be available for special needs students in California.

Born in Akron, Ohio, she received her B.A. at Ohio State University in 1958, her M.A. at the University of Southern California in 1965, and her Ph.D. at USC in 1973. Her teaching career started in 1958 in Newark, NJ, then Santa Monica’s California Rehab Center, the USC Dept. of Communicative Disorders, Camarillo State Hospital as Director of the Speech and Language Dept., and Cedars Sinai Julia Ann Singer Preschool Psychiatric Center. She became a Program Specialist for Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools, where she developed carefully structured language programs for teachers in this pioneering, federally funded program designed to demonstrate that children with a diagnosis of autism could be educated in regular schools. She then worked for the California Special Education Network (SERN), and Montebello USD. From 1988 through her retirement in 2003 she was Program Coordinator for Oakland USD’s Programs for Exceptional Children, as Supervisor of all speech and language specialists in Oakland schools, as well as Principal at Tilden School. Rookie’s standards were very high and she hired competent, highly qualified teachers, trained and mentored them in working with special education students and their parents. She was highly respected by parents and staff, and loved for her kindness, compassion, generosity, intellect, and commitment to students and teachers. And by everyone lucky enough to have known her.

After moving to the Bay Area in 1988 Rookie soon had a circle of close friends, with whom she would share dinner parties and social events. She supported many charities, bought food for homeless people; loved music, ballet and theater, all of which she supported. She visited family and friends in Southern California and Arizona as often as possible, cared lovingly for her dogs and cat and her many admirers for many precious years.

She left this world a better place.