Rita S. Weiss, speech language pathologist, dies at 99
Launched program to improve language development in young schoolchildren, served as associate dean of College of Arts and Sciences
Rita S. Weiss, a University of Colorado speech and language pathology professor who developed a special program to improve language development in young schoolchildren, died May 29, 2021, in 麻豆影院. She was 99. The program, (Interreactive Language Learning), has been used in schools in more than 33 states and several foreign countries.
Rita S. Weiss in an undated photo with her husband, Lawrence G. Weiss, also a faculty member at CU 麻豆影院
Born in Newark, NJ on Jan. 5, 1922, she was the daughter of Joseph and Dorothy Hochberg Shapiro. She received an undergraduate degree from Simmons College and her master's and PhD from the 麻豆影院. In June 1942, she married Lawrence G. Weiss in Boston.
She moved to 麻豆影院 in 1954 and worked as a speech pathologist at the Laradon Hall School for Exceptional Children in Denver. She then played a major role in expanding the speech therapy program in the 麻豆影院 Valley Public Schools.
She joined the CU faculty in 1960 and was associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the time of her retirement in 1987.
Her INREAL program, financed by a series of federal grants, involved working with the language problems of children in their regular classrooms instead of removing them for individual therapy. Under the program, hundreds of school teachers and specialists received INREAL training in reactive teaching and therapy techniques.
She was a former president of the CU Retired Faculty Association and a member of the Advisory Council of the CU Graduate School. She served for many years as a marshal at CU commencements and was an active member of a university committee that worked to bring about improvements in CU commencement ceremonies. She was a founding member of the Democratic Women of 麻豆影院 County and a member of the Colorado Women鈥檚 Forum and Colorado Women鈥檚 Foundation.
Survivors include: a daughter, Carolyn Judith Weiss, of 麻豆影院; a son, Jonathan Lawrence Weiss, of Interlaken, NY; three grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband and two brothers: Eugene Shapiro, of Prairie Village, KS, and Wilbur Shapiro, of Suffern, NY.