Hooray for Jay! Colleagues and Family Honor Chelsea High Teacher Jay Seigal

Revere resident Jay Seigal, who taught in the Chelsea school system for 33 years and carried forth his father’s incredible legacy in the field of education in that city, has retired from teaching.

Seigal, who with his wife, Patricia, and sons, Aaron Seigal and Jason Seigal, have lived in Revere for the past three decades, was feted by his colleagues, friends, and family at a retirement celebration June 15 at Kowloon.

One of his professional colleagues organizing the party was CHS health and physical education teacher Gena Restiano, president of the Revere High School Class of 2013.

Jay is the son of the late Morris Seigal and Miriam Siegal. “Morrie” Seigal, as he was known by all, was the beloved principal at the Williams School and a long-time member of the Chelsea School Committee. The middle school on Clark Avenue in Chelsea is named the Morris H. Seigal Middle School.

Former CHS Principal Joseph Mullaney was among many lauding Jay Seigal’s excellent work in the Chelsea school district both as a teacher and basketball coach.

“Working with Jay was a real pleasure,” said Mullaney. “Being a Chelsea guy himself, he always wanted to do well by Chelsea kids. You could always depend on him to give his best effort toward the goals we were trying to accomplish at the school. I think one of his real strong qualities was that he really connected well with kids, and they knew that he cared about them, and that permeated through his whole department – Titus Manderson, Lisa Ceccherini, Al Generazzo and Jay Seigal. They were a wonderful group of educators.”

Jay Seigal attended the Shurtleff School and graduated in 1976 from Chelsea High School where he played varsity basketball, once exploding for double-figure points in a single quarter against a powerful Somerville High team. Seigal was known as a fundamentally sound player and would later pass on that in-depth knowledge of basketball to his Chelsea High players as an assistant coach and a head coach.

Jay received his degree from Boston State College. He started teaching in 1981 as an aide to Williams School physical education teacher Joseph Bevere, who was a special guest at the retirement party.

Seigal spent eight years in the jewelry business before returning in 1993 to the teaching profession, working in the Chelsea school system as a health and physical education teacher for the next 30 years. He was the CHS boys varsity head basketball coach for 13 seasons, with his teams qualifying for the MIAA State Tournament in 10 of those seasons.

Seigal said his career in education was inspired by his father. “My father worked 36 years in Chelsea. He retired in 1982. He was a member of the School Committee for 29 years. He was very inspirational to me,” said Jay. “I grew up in a household that stressed the importance of education, so I thought that was the thing to do.”

Jay and his wife, Patricia, finance director at Chelsea Housing and Community Development, also stressed the importance of education as a foundation-setter in life to their sons, Aaron (Revere High, Class of 2008) and Jason (Revere High Class of 2014).

Aaron, 32, is a graduate of Bentley University and New England School of Law and now works as an attorney. Jason, 27, is a graduate of Villanova University and is employed as a civil engineer.

Asked to reflect on his outstanding 33-year career as a teacher and coach, Jay Seigal answered in his characteristically humble manner, “I just decided it was time to retire. “I had a very good run.”