Glen Head native started teaching after college

children.

After moving to Glen Head in 1967 to be closer to her parents and in-laws, Holzkamp began working at Glen Head School where she took over their summer swimming program. She remained in that position for the next 25 years.

The program also featured arts and crafts, as well as other fun summer activities for children. Despite this, some parents only sent their children to the swimming portion, which ran for three and a half hours every morning.

As the director of the swimming program, Holzkamp would eventually oversee 14 other instructors. She said throughout the experience, she ensured her staff took things seriously and everyone was safe.

“I ran a tough operation,” Holzkamp reminisced. “I was always so concerned about safety that the instructors knew they had to focus on the kids. They did not chat with each other during the class; their focus had to be on the students.”

Throughout her time running the summer swimming program and working as a teacher, Holzkamp found time to give private lessons to children and adults, pri- marily people with indoor pools. She would also give private lessons to families throughout the North Shore during her afternoons in the summer, working as far afield as Bayville and Port Washington.

Even after she retired as a teacher and swimming director from North Shore School District in 1982, Holzkamp continued to give private swimming lessons. To this day Holzkamp teaches children how to swim, although she happily added that “I don’t have classes at 8 a.m. anymore.” Holzkamp worked with people with a variety of disabilities, from injured elderly people to people with Down’s Syndrome. Richard Galati, a Glen Head resident whose four daughters all went through Holzkamp’s summer program, explained that when his second daughter Christina was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes, Holzkamp worked closely with her, and that Christina went on to work for Holzkamp as a swimming instructor herself.

“Barbara’s no nonsense and she was always kind to the kids,” Galati added. “It was a really good experience because the kids really progressed quickly, and she gave them realistic goals to achieve and made sure that they were successful.”