2009 Wolt [1946-2009]

Honoring Irene Wolt [1946-2009]

A funeral ceremony, honoring Irene Wolt [1946-2009], was held at 3 p.m. Friday, July 24 at Hillside Memorial Park, 6001 Centinela Ave., Los Angeles. The gathering to follow will be held at the home of SMC employees Jim and Christina Galligan,

12807 Stanwood Drive, Los Angeles.

Dear College Community,

     I am sad to inform you that Irene Wolt - a passionate advocate for our

students with disabilities who converted books, films and other

materials into formats that were accessible to these students - died

Tuesday at the age of 63.

     Ms. Wolt was SMC's alternate media specialist with the Center for

Students with Disabilities for seven years, five of them as a consultant

before being hired as an employee.

     Born and raised in the New York area, she received her B.A. degree     in psychology and liberal arts from Antioch University in Ohio.  A 

perfectionist who believed that disabled students deserve the very

best adaptations possible, she was an expert in the tedious work of

captioning films for deaf students and converting books so that blind

and learning disabled students could hear them. Colleagues say she was

tireless in her diligence, dedicated to keeping current with the latest

technological changes, and driven to make sure the students got the best

from her. Many students credited her with their success in classes.

     Ms. Wolt also had an interesting life before and outside Santa Monica

College. She spent her entire adult life as an activist and chronicler

of civil rights movements that flourished in the 1960s and beyond, first

in New York and later in Santa Monica and Los Angeles. She worked 

with several printing collectives and as an archivist in the anti-war

movement, the feminist movement, and the gay and lesbian rights

movement. She was also a writer, teacher, and media specialist. Her

personal collection of posters (itself a gold mine of activist history)

will reside in the Center for the Study of Political Graphics in Los

Angeles.

     She is survived by her 95-year old father and many friends.

A funeral ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, July 24 at Hillside

Memorial Park, 6001 Centinela Ave., Los Angeles. The gathering to 

follow will be held at the home of SMC employees Jim and Christina 

Galligan,

12807 Stanwood Drive, Los Angeles.

Chui Tsang

President, Santa Monica Community College-

I thought you all would want to see what was sent out to the College

community today. Judy S.


(Back to Sources)

 Kelyn Roberts 2017