Retired teacher and district representative Dick Procida, who died on May 12, was my mentor and my friend. He started teaching in 1965 and was the District 19 representative for 25 years — from 1971 to 1996. I met him when I was a chapter leader and I succeeded him as district representative years later.

Dick worked tirelessly, leaving no stone unturned in advocating for our members in Brooklyn. I had a lot of grievances at my school when I was a chapter leader, so I had a lot of interactions with Dick, and we became friends. Dick was tough but always had a calm demeanor. He was very smart and knew how to make his point effectively with administrators without having to raise his voice or show anger.

We used to play tennis together and would also meet up for lunch before he moved from Long Island to Westchester County. I am grateful for our friendship over the years and will miss him.

Allan Weinstein, retired District 19 representative