Mr. Irving William Westerman, a U.S. Navy veteran and longtime special education teacher in the Cheltenham School District, passed away on Thursday, August 20, at his residence in Sarasota, Florida. 

A decorated veteran, Mr. Westerman participated in combat action during the Korean War as a Quartermaster/Helmsman/Signalman aboard the destroyer USS Cotten and subsequently circumnavigated the globe, his obituary said. Following his service discharge, he graduated from Temple University with a bachelor’s degree in Education via the GI Bill.

Mr. Westerman went on to a 40-year career in the developing field of Special Education, spending the last 25 years teaching at Cheltenham High School. In 1992, he was voted the “Pennsylvania Special Education Teacher of the Year” by the Pennsylvania Counsel for Exceptional Children.

Family and friends are invited to funeral services Monday, August 24, 2026, 12:00pm at Joseph Levine & Sons, 4737 Street Road, Trevose, PA.

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