Assistant Principal of Tenafly Public Schools for the past nine years, Dr. Eugenia Pfeiffer died Mar. 11 and school administrators said she will be greatly missed.

Unable to speak about the loss, Principal Dora Kontogiannis said Pfeiffer was a close friend. In a statement Kontogiannis cited Pfeiffer’s 30 years of conscientious hard work as an educator and "inspirational leader."

"Our lives shall be emptier by her absence because they were made fuller by her presence," Kontogiannis wrote.

District Superintendent Mort Sherman said Pfeiffer was "loved by our Tenafly school family."

Remembering Pfeiffer for her "extreme professionalism," Sherman said she was elegant and direct in her ways and always had the children as her utmost priority. "She was always about serving students. She didn’t come in and say try this program or do this. She always worked with people to bring the best out of the students and the staff."

Pfeiffer was assistant principal for curriculum and instruction. She oversaw the school programs and supervised department chairs and Sherman remembers her as having a "broad agenda" but being very precise.

"Everybody in the district knew that when you are around Eugenia that you were looking at someone who was the ultimate professional. You never had to ask twice and she often anticipated what your issues were," said Sherman.

"I would ask about getting a report done and she would say it’s on it’s way and it would be done sometimes before I even asked."

To memorialize Pfeiffer, a scholarship fund has been established that will be given to a graduating Tenafly High School student.

Donations may be made to the fund with checks payable to Dr. Eugenia Pfeiffer Memorial Scholarship Tenafly High School, Principal’s Office, 19 Columbus Drive, Tenafly.

E-mail: wilde@northjersey.com or call 201-894-6706