It is with much sadness that Mercury has to report that Jason Paige , our attendance officer, passed away on Friday, October 29,2010. Mr. Paige suffered a heart attack early Friday morning. He died in route to the hospital.
Mr. Paige was born and raised in Peekskill. He attended Peekskill schools and graduated from Peekskill High School in 1989 . After graduation he joined the Marines and then moved on to the NYC Police Department and the NY State Power Authority. He began working for the Peekskill School District in 2006. Mr. Paige was dedicated to the students of Peekskill High School. He took his job seriously, and it was a job that came with a lot of responsibility. Mr. Paige met with students and parents. He did home visits ( both day and night) and also routinely met with probation officers and traveled to White Plains to attend court. His goal was always to help students get an education. Dressed sharply in a a tailored suit with a Bluetooth in his ear, Mr. Paige walked the hallways and was “on the job”. He smiled and joked while he played both detective and counselor. Mr. Paige typically worked many hours with an individual student and family to get the student the help that was needed. Often working “behind the scenes”, the hours he put in sometimes did not show success for a year or maybe two. Many potential dropouts who were hounded by Mr. Paige know that they are still in school because of his efforts. The work that Mr. Paige did was important, and our school is a better place because of the work he accomplished.
In addition to working as an attendance officer, Mr. Paige served as an Adviser to the Black Culture Club. He earned degrees in Criminal Justice and Counseling. He was a real estate broker and was active in little league and Pop Warner football. He was also an active member at Mt. Olivet Church.
Mr. Paige lived in Poughkeepsie with his wife, Sherrine . His son, Ja’quon, graduated Peekskill High School in 2009 . The roots of the Paige family run deep in Peekskill. Mr. Paige’s sister, Tuesday Paige McDonald, has served on the Board of Education since 1998 . His brother, Aaron, is active in the Peekskill Volunteer Fire Department. His brother, Jonathan Travis, is a security guard at Peekskill High School.
The wake for Mr. Paige will be held at Mt. Olivet Church on Friday evening from 5:00 to 7:30. The funeral will be held at Mt. Olivet on Saturday morning at 10:00. Mt. Olivet is located on Park Street at Reverend Wiggins Plaza.
Peekskill High School has established a Wall of Remembrance in the hallway near Mr. Paige’s office. Students and staff can use the wall to record their thoughts and memories of Mr. Paige. If you would like to join the Peekskill community in remembering Mr. Paige, you are encouraged to submit a comment at the end of this article.
* If you have not already done so, click on the audio icon above to hear a musical tribute to Mr. Paige.