New London — The Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday night to name the athletic training room at the Science and Technology Magnet High School the "Barbara Major Sports Medicine Training Center" in honor of two-term Board of Education member Barbara Major.

Major, who was also the city's Republican registrar of voters for nearly 20 years, died in July after a long illness. She was 61.

"Not only was Barbara a very active member of the community in many ways, but we also had fun on this board when she was here," board President Margaret Mary Curtin said. "She was a good friend for many, many years, so this is a great honor I'm very happy to support."

Major also served as secretary of New London Little League, was a coordinator for the New London High School football camp and was a member of the New London Lodge of Elks and the Kiwanis Club of New London.

"Barbara was very committed to the board and New London's athletic teams as a whole, she loved being around kids and supporting them any way she could," board Secretary Sylvia Potter said. "It made me feel really proud to hear that we would be honoring her in this way."

Major was intimately linked to the high school's athletic programs and was married to Tommie Major, director of the city's recreation department, former football player and longtime high school football coach.

"It will be a room that will be home to a lot of education, but there will be a lot of jokes in one way or another in that class," Tommie Major said. "On behalf of the entire Major family, I would like to thank everybody for this pleasure."

Whether her sons were playing at the time or not, Major was a staple at New London High football games and would park her car by the corner of the field for every game.

When the Whalers were playing for a state championship at Ansonia in the early 1990s, her son Tommie said at memorial service in July, Major told the guards that she was to sing the national anthem so she could drive closer to the field and park in her usual spot.

"What Barbara stood for is community, this wonderful family and our students," Louis E. Allen, the former STEM high school director, said in July. "And as time goes on, if we remember that, what Barbara's legacy was, Barbara's not gone. She's still going to be in our heart."

The board is now working to schedule a ceremony to formally dedicate the room in Major's name.

c.young@theday.com

Twitter: @ColinAYoung