NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- There was a full house at the Church of the Holy Apostles in Manhattan on Saturday for the funeral of Barbara Gustern, the 87-year-old singing coach who was killed by a seemingly random shoving attack.
Barbara was many things to many people,” said Reverend Dr. Anna Pearson, the rector at the church. “I knew her as a parishioner, a teacher, a champion of the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, an inspiring creative soul and recently an elected member of the vestry here at this church.”
The alleged attacker, 26-year-old Lauren Pazienza, faces manslaughter charges for shoving Gustern to the ground on March 10.
Gustern died from her injuries five days later.
Police released surveillance footage of the woman they believe to be Pazienza casually walking away after the attack.
Gustern was an acclaimed vocal coach who trained Debbie Harry and the cast of the 2019 Broadway revival of the musical ‘Oklahoma,’ The New York Times reported.
Her funeral service was accompanied by a singing performance.
“If my baba didn’t step up to fill the void left by my mother, I wouldn’t be here with you all today,” said her grandson AJ Gustern at the service. “Living with baba day after day, I came to realize the amount of work she put into every aspect of her being.”
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