Brenda Bachrack, mother of five, revered educator, actress and friend to all who met her, passed away Oct. 26, 2022, at age 91.
Brenda leaves behind five children – David Bachrack, Ellen Schexnider, Jonathan Bachrack, Ruthie Gerrard and Emily Makuch. Grandmother to 13 and great-grandmother to 13 more, Mimi or Mega Mimi, as she was affectionately known, always greeted her “babies” with long, tight hugs and sloppy kisses.
Known simply as Miss Brenda to many in her hometown of Lake Charles, La., she will be remembered as a dedicated educator who touched the hearts and minds of countless students. Moving beyond the usual curriculum, it was her lifelong mission to help all children reach their full potential. She earned the respect of everyone who encountered her and beyond, perhaps most notably as the host of the beloved television program, “Romper Room,” where Miss Brenda first entered the homes and hearts of the local children.
Not only was she a natural on-screen, but in the classroom as well. Brenda’s love for books blossomed at an early age. She often recounted learning to speed read in order to finish her detective novels before lights-out as a child. She had an uncanny ability to share her love of the written word with anyone who would listen. Her grandchildren cherished lap time with Mimi as she read from Shel Silverstein or Dr. Seuss, enunciating each sound and pointing to each word so their young minds could soak up the rhymes. Her students might recall the great reads she introduced them to, books not found on the usual reading lists. Books that would expand their view of the world forever. Brenda continued to read to children after she retired by volunteering at the local library. Children could once again listen to the beautiful lilt of her voice with the added bonus of meeting Sandy, her trusty golden retriever.
Born in Brookline, Mass., Brenda attended one year at Syracuse University before meeting her husband and lifelong love, Harold Bachrack. Following his return from service in the Air Force, they moved together to Lake Charles to begin a new life. After “Romper Room” and time spent raising her children, it took her a few years to make it back to college, but she graduated from McNeese State University with a degree in speech education in 1970 and received several more advanced degrees later in life. Her teaching career included stints at W.O. Boston High School, Reynaud Middle School and Westlake High School.
Always maintaining an open-door policy at her home on Audubon Street, Brenda eagerly welcomed old friends and new acquaintances, often greeting them with a noodle kugel in the oven and a warm cup of tea. She loved to hear about everyone’s lives, and she lived hers to the fullest, meeting a diverse cast of characters along the way … local theatre actors who shared her and Harold’s passion for the stage, fellow supporters of the McNeese Banners program that helped bring new culture and music to the Lake Charles community, and the many remarkable students she mentored as a “founding mother” of SPARK, Calcasieu Parish’s program for gifted students. She also volunteered her time in the Jewish community.
“I mourn the loss of this astonishing, amazing, delightful and loving woman, who had such an impact on so many people. I so cherish my memories of her, as I’m sure you do yours. Before getting to know Brenda, I don’t think it ever occurred to me that one person could hold genuine love in her heart for so many people at the same time, but she somehow managed to do so… one of her many superpowers.” – Rabbi Peter Schaktman
Rabbi Peter, Brenda’s longtime friend, added, “Perhaps ironically, right now my mind’s eye sees and hears Mimi’s joyous laugh, reminding me to dwell not on the emptiness I feel at her passing, but on the fullness of her life and the incalculable number of people she touched, and taught, and hugged, and supported.”
Written by her
granddaughter Mary-Brennan
Minarovych!
Donations can be made in Brenda’s honor to the following: mcneesefoun dation.org (earmark for Banners at McNeese Endowment); Temple Sinai, 713 Hodges St., Lake Charles, LA 70601; or Willard Walker Hospice Home, 325 E. Longview St., Fayetteville, AR 72703.
Plans for a memorial service are pending.