In 1947, the Beckoffs - Laurie, her older sister Jill and their parents – moved into a two family house at 40-30 44th Street on the Gardens side of Skillman Avenue.  Laurie and Jill's mother, Beatrice Beckoff, was a substitute teacher at PS 150 and JHS 125 in the 1950’s.  Their father, Dr. Samuel Beckoff, was the Chairman of the English Departments at the HS of Music and Art in Harlem, and at Performing Arts HS in the Times Square area, before these two schools were physically merged and relocated to Lincoln Center as LaGuardia H.S. of Music, Art & Performing Arts.  Laurie attended PS 150, JHS 125 and William Cullen Bryant High School.

 

          After moving to Albany, NY in 1976, Laurie had an active career as the English as a second language (ESL) specialist in the NYS Education Department Office of Bilingual Education, and was a Visiting Assistant Professor in the SUNY Albany Graduate School of Education ESL teacher preparation program. She is now retired and lives in Saratoga Springs, NY with her husband.