Norma Gonsalves, former teacher, presiding officer of Nassau Legislature, dies at 90

Norma Gonsalves, of East Meadow, a retired schoolteacher who found a second career as one of the earliest members of the Nassau County Legislature, eventually rising to become the chamber's presiding officer, has died.

Gonsalves, a Republican and a mother of three, was known as a fierce advocate for her district and for core GOP issues, serving in the 13th Legislative District from 1998 through 2017.

She died Tuesday at the age of 90.

"Norma Gonsalves was a dedicated public servant and a strong voice for her East Meadow neighbors and all of Nassau's residents," Nassau Republican chairman Joe Cairo said in a statement. "As the presiding officer of the County Legislature, she fought to control taxes and to make our county the safest county in the United States."

Born in Brooklyn on June 11, 1934, with the maiden name Cordaro, Gonsalves graduated from St. Joseph’s College for Women with a bachelor's degree in history and later a master's degree from Hunter College and Brooklyn College.

Gonsalves would spend a quarter century teaching in the New York City school system, predominantly English, in a junior high school in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

Teaching the classics

In the classroom, Gonsalves introduced many of her students to theater, including Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet," and encouraged many to pursue careers in film, television or the stage. 

While training to become a teacher, she volunteered at a summer camp in East New York and met John Gonsalves. The couple married in 1962 and moved to East Meadow that year.

They had three children: Carin, Dana and Gregg.

"She made sure we were strong kids. We were independent people who could speak for ourselves. She trusted us, she supported us, she was a good mentor," said daughter Dana Gonsalves, a creative director who lives in Brooklyn. "She made Christmas and all the holidays special because she loved family and she also loved tradition." 

Her husband, John, who was also a teacher in the city school system as well as an administrator, died in 2019.

Norma Gonsalves, who took several years off from teaching to raise her children, eventually returned to the classroom before retiring in 1993.

Before entering politics, Gonsalves was an active East Meadow civic leader. She served on the PTA, founded the Council of East Meadow Community Organizations, served on the local chamber of commerce and Kiwanis Club and sat on advisory committees for the county correctional center and the Town of Hempstead's solid waste management efforts.

In 1997, one election cycle after the formation of the 19-member legislature, Gonsalves was elected to represent East Meadow and its surrounding communities. She would hold the seat for two decades.

"I had the honor to work with Norma on many important issues in Nassau County," Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican who was one of the original members of the legislature, said in a statement. "She was a dedicated public servant, trailblazer and I was fortunate to call her my friend. We will all miss Norma, her dedication to the public good and her vivacious personality."

In 2012, Gonsalves became the chamber's presiding officer after her predecessor, Massapequa Republican Peter Schmitt, died unexpectedly.

A life of service

Leading the chamber, Gonsalves advocated for holding down property taxes and increasing police resources, including providing officers with the overdose treatment drug Narcan. She helped establish a veterans clinic at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow.

"She was a dedicated public servant her entire life, first as a public school teacher and then in public office," said the legislature's current presiding officer, Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence), in a statement. "She was a friend and mentor to all of us who knew and worked with her."

Democratic Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, of Glen Cove, said in a statement that Gonsalves "served her community with great passion and intensity for nearly two decades as a legislator."

Gonsalves' time as presiding officer was not without controversy. 

In 2016, the state Board of Elections filed a lawsuit against Gonsalves for failing to file eight mandatory financial campaign disclosure reports between 2013 and 2015.

Gonsalves initially told Newsday she had been filing handwritten paper reports with the county Board of Elections and blamed that agency for failing to send them to the state. She later blamed her treasurer for not filing the reports. Gonsalves was eventually fined $14,000 for violating state campaign finance laws.

"I have kept my commitment to the homeowners and taxpayers by holding the line on property taxes and improving the fiscal stability of this county," Gonsalves said after announcing that she would not seek reelection in 2017.

In addition to her daughter Dana, Gonsalves is survived by daughter Carin Gonsalves, of Philadelphia, and son Gregg Gonsalves, of New Haven, Connecticut; and four grandchildren.

A public viewing will be held Wednesday and Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. at Leo F. Kearns Funeral Home in East Meadow.

A funeral Mass will follow next Friday at 9:45 a.m. at St. Raphael’s Parish in East Meadow.

With Candice Ferrette

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.