the Informer

Ida Schaechter | Courtesy of hartford.edu

The University is mourning the loss of Ida Schaechter, an adjunct math professor in Hillyer College.

Schaechter, 78, passed away Tuesday night after her West Hartford home caught fire just after 9 p.m. Her husband, Harry, was able to escape and was brought to St. Francis Hospital for medical treatment.

The fire was likely due to attempts by the couple to try to stay warm without power. More so, because of the poor conditions of roads, fire fighters didn’t arrive until the house was already engulfed in flames.

“The only two rooms that weren’t burning by the time we got here was the two-car garage,” according to Neal Fischer of the West Hartford Fire Department.

According to Police Chief Jim Strillacci, the attempt to reach the second story was unsuccessful because the fire engulfed their ladder.

“Ida Schaechter was like family to both faculty and the students she taught…we mourn her loss and send our deepest condolences to her family,” said David Goldenberg, dean of Hillyer College.