In Memoriam: Eva Lazar Gabrield

Eva Lazar Gabriel, a music teacher at Wagner College from 1971 to 1986 and a longtime member of the Wagner College Guild, died on June 17. Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1932, Eva studied at the prestigious Franz Liszt Music Conservatory before fleeing the country with her first husband in the wake of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. She came to the United States in the late 1950s and moved to Staten Island in 1965, quickly becoming part of the cultural and artistic fabric of the community. After teaching at Wagner College, Eva opened the Lazar Vocal Studio in her home, donating the profits she earned to cultural and environmental organizations on Staten Island. The recipient of numerous awards from local organizations, Eva was named a Staten Island Advance Woman of Achievement in 1997 and an American Association of University Women Woman of Distinction in 2019. “Eva loved Wagner and was committed to the Wagner Guild,” said Guild president and Wagner trustee Aletta Kipp Diamond ’65 H’15. “Her warm smile will be missed by many from the Guild and the Wagner family.”