Ghattas, Meredith Anne Zink passed away after a long illness on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. The daughter of Irve and Anne Zink, Meredith was the beloved wife of Mina Ghattas for 57 years. She is also survived by her loving brother Jeffrey Zink, his wife, Helo, and extended family. She will be greatly missed.
Meredith grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (Go Badgers!), earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics and education. She continued her studies in educational administration at Northeastern University. Her path to teaching was heavily influenced by her mother, Anne, a kindergarten teacher, and her brother, Jeffrey, a Distinguished professor of chemistry at UCLA.
Throughout her career, Meredith loved her job. She had the honor of teaching and serving as a student adviser for 35 years, beginning at Newton High School in 1972 and continuing at Newton North High School from its opening in 1973 until her retirement in 2007. She served as housemaster of Newton North’s Beals House from 1978 to 2007 and, along with her administrative leadership, taught mathematics throughout those 35 years.
When speaking to the Newton North Class of 2007 at their graduation, she offered the principles by which she lived:
“Always remember to be lifelong learners because learning sustains the human spirit. Always remember to keep your humanity. Always remember to be grand and elegant in all you do, and always remember, when you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.”
Her passion for her students, her colleagues, and the Newton North community was matched only by the love and respect they showed her in return. Having been with the school for its entire existence to that point, Meredith was recognized at her retirement by the school’s principal for what she was: “a legend at Newton North.” Today, her former department annually awards the Meredith Ghattas scholarship to honor a math student recognized as especially hardworking.
After 35 years of teaching teenagers—and eventually some of those same teenagers’ children—many people might have taken a well-deserved ride into the sunset and relaxed. But education was not just a career to Meredith; it was a passion, a devotion, and a life’s work born of her curiosity and love of learning. Even after retiring from daily teaching, she continued to study new ideas and approaches to education, working with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. During the 2000s and 2010s, she joined numerous visiting NEASC academic accreditation and development teams across the United States and in Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Rwanda, Bahrain, and Morocco. She worked with other educators during these visits to adapt various teaching practices to the needs of different communities, schools, and students.
If her students were fortunate to have shared a short time with her, her family was truly blessed with decades of her love, empathy, wisdom, compassion, kindness, dedication, vibrancy, and joy. She was especially close to her mother, with whom she had daily phone chats throughout her adulthood and for whom she cared tirelessly in her later years. She was also beloved as the “cool aunt” by her nieces and nephews, who looked forward to visits filled with games of Crazy Eights, viewings of Star Trek, and indulgent holiday feasts.
Meredith had an inquisitive, excited spirit and took great joy in sharing experiences with friends, family, and even strangers, who would come to love her as well. She tackled every challenge and curiosity with a wholehearted enthusiasm and dedication; a skilled pianist and clarinetist, and a particular admirer of Chopin and Schubert, she could likely have devoted her energy to music just as successfully as she did to teaching. She loved to travel, learning about and experiencing different cultures around the world, and looked beyond the world to the stars, studying constellations, eclipses, and other celestial events. An avid swimmer, she was known for swimming laps in Newton North’s pool during her lunch break, and she served as president of her water ballet club. A bastion of compassionate strength and wisdom, she faced every challenge with the same signature approach—she lifted up everyone around her as she moved forward. She will be sorely missed and will ultimately be remembered for the tremendous impact she had on every life she touched along the way.
Family and friends are invited to honor her life on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington Street, Wellesley, Massachusetts. Visiting hours will be held from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., with prayers at 11:00 a.m., followed by burial at Woodlawn Cemetery, 148 Brook Street, Wellesley. A luncheon reception will follow at 1:00 p.m. at the Wellesley Country Club, 300 Wellesley Avenue, Wellesley.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Meredith’s memory to Embrace the Children of Palestine, Inc., in keeping with her lifelong commitment to education and academic development. Donations may be mailed to 34 Girard Place, Maplewood, NJ 07040, or made online at www.etcpalestine.net.