Playground Equipment Dedicated In Memory Of Beloved Teacher

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — The memory of a beloved teacher lives on in the students whose lives she was dedicated to shaping: On Monday, a ceremony was held at Southampton Elementary School to dedicate a new piece of playground equipment in memory of longtime teacher Liz Hague.

The $22,000 piece features several benches, tabletops, and an awning to provide students with a shady spot to sit, read and chat. It was made possible through four years of fundraising efforts by the school’s PTO, the district said.

“The piece was chosen to represent Liz’s love of reading,” said Principal Dr. Jaime Bottcher.

During the dedication, speakers recalled fond memories of Hague, who died in 2015. She was remembered as an educator who loved her students and "would do anything for them," the district said.

According to her obituary, Elisabeth Ann Hague was born April 9, 1951 and grew up in Massapequa; she left behind six children and her husband William.

She taught in the Southampton Union Free School District for 39 years and a was the "loving and spirited mother of six independent children," the obituary read.