Category: 03 – Obituaries

With sadness, VCCCDRA has learned of the recent passing of Linda Rovai, retired Educational Assistance Center (EAC) Counselor at Ventura College.

Obituary:

Linda Angela Rovai, suddenly and peacefully left us Oct. 23, 2024.

Born May 23, 1949, she was the eldest of the four children of Louis and Mary Rovai.  Linda attended and graduated from Rio Dell Elementary, Fortuna Union High School and HSU (now Cal Poly Humboldt). She was a student athlete and was part of the HSU woman’s volleyball team. After graduating from HSU in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, she graduated from Cal State Hayward in 1977 with a Master of Science degree in Special Ed and counseling. She continued her education at the University of California Santa Barbara and graduated in 1985 with a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration.

Linda began her teaching career in Oakland at the Elmhurst Middle School. She eventually moved from the Bay Area and settled in Ojai. It was in Ojai that she found her life’s calling …. as a counselor for students with disabilities at Ventura College.

At the EAC (Educational Assistance Center), Linda advocated for students, created and taught courses, and provided the guidance and counseling they needed to succeed.  Her naturally calm, caring, and grounded demeanor provided a safe and warm environment for everyone – students, faculty, and staff.

She was always a strong advocate for both part-time and full-time faculty.  She served on the AFT Executive Council as a part-timer Vice-President.  She also served on contract negotiating teams.

Linda was pivotal in the development of the Holistic Studies program, courses, and degrees and certificates.  This excerpt from the major description is a direct reflection of who Linda was, how she approached life, and what information she wanted to make available to help others:

“This major explores the principles and beliefs of major religious and spiritual traditions that assist in the comprehension of foundational human experiences. Death, dying and grieving, ethical and moral dilemmas, finding happiness and meaning in life, and other such root experiences from varying cultural and historical perspectives. It examines the effects of the healing arts, lifestyle choices, stress reduction, and alternative and integrative medicines on graceful aging, disease prevention as well as on the creation and maintenance of optimum health and wellness.”

After retirement, Linda made the difficult decision to temporarily relocate from Ojai to Rio Dell. She spent this time lovingly taking care of her mother, making sure her mother’s passing was as gentle and peaceful as possible. Linda treasured this gift of being able to spend these last few years sharing memories with her mother and renewing connections with friends and family.

Linda’s generous spirit illuminated the lives of everyone around her. Her kindness knew no end. Always willing to help those in need, reminding us that there is so much more to this world, Linda saw beauty in the simplest moments and believed in the power of connection, nurturing relationships with a warmth that drew people in. Her legacy of love and compassion will forever inspire us.

Lind’s impact on those of us who knew her well was quietly profound, and we will miss her.

A memorial for Linda is planned at The Ojai Retreat and Inn, 160 Besant Rd in Ojai on Saturday, 23 Nov between 2-4 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to:

• Eagle Prairie Elementary School (95 Center St., Rio Dell, CA 95562),
• The Rio Dell Volunteer Fire Department (50 W. Center St., Rio Dell, CA 95562), or
• To a charity of your choice

It is with sadness that VCCCDRA has learned of the passing of Terry Lee Pardee, retired professor of anatomy / physiology and biotechnology at Ventura College.

Terry attended San Fernando Valley State College (now known as California State University Northridge) and earned both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Entomology. In his 60’s, Terry earned a PhD in Epidemiology from Walden University.  Over his career at VC, he taught thousands of future nurses, physicians, paramedics, researchers, and physician assistants.

A Celebration of Life is scheduled on Saturday, October 12, 2024 from 1 to 4 pm.  Location TBD.

To read Terry’s obituary, please use this link.

With sadness, VCCCDRA has learned of the passing on August 21, 2024 of Les Wieder, retired professor of Television and Theater at Moorpark College.  Les directed more than 72 plays at MC and in Hollywood over his 40+ year career in the music, theater, and television industries.

No services have been announced.  To read his obituary, please use this link.

It is with great sadness that VCCCDRA has learned of the passing of Helene Corley Mulligan, on October 31, 2018.  Helene was a retired professor of business and a founding faculty at Oxnard College.

Helene earned bachelor’s degrees from the City University of New York and Louisiana State University, and master’s degrees in Education from University of California, Berkeley and Childhood Psychology from Long Island University. Her career in education  included many years of teaching at both high school and college level. She also taught and lectured extensively in China and Thailand.

Please use this link to read Helene’s obituary.

It is with great sadness that the VCCCDRA has learned of the passing of Shirley Tucker, retired Home Economics instructor at Ventura College.  At 107 years of age, Shirley was the oldest VCCCD retiree.  She retired from the district in 1981.

Having completed the two-year program available at Victoria College, Shirley’s education took her to the US: she earned a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Washington and a Master’s degree from Columbia University Teacher’s College in New York.  A specialist in textiles, she taught home economics, serving as a faculty member at Oregon State University, UCLA and Ventura College, where she was the home economics department chairperson for many years.

Shirley retired in 1981 and returned to Victoria. She moved back into the family home that she first occupied in 1932 and remained there for life. Shirley was active in several local organizations, including the Victoria College Craigdarroch Castle Alumni Association, where she served as president in the mid-1980s.  As a longtime docent at Craigdarroch Castle, she engaged visitors from around the world with stories and photos of her time as a student there in the 1930s, when Victoria College held classes and dances at the Castle.  In addition to her travels and affiliations with Canadian organizations, Shirley remained active and interested in developments at Ventura College and with the retirees’ association for decades after her retirement.  She sustained longtime friendships with many of her former colleagues at Ventura College.

Please use this link to read Shirley’s obituary.

It is great sadness that the VCCCDRA has learned of the passing of Edrissa “Ed” Bassey, retired Accounting professor at Oxnard College.  Ed passed on February 25, 2024, services were held in April 2024 and he was buried at Junior’s Place of Hope (JPOH), a special school in Ed’s home country of Sierra Leone, for children with autism and other special needs.  The school was founded by Ed and his wife Henrietta and opened just two weeks before he passed.

Ed was loved and admired by thousands of students during his long career at OC.

Please use this link to read his obituary in the Ventura County Star.

With sadness, the VCCCDRA has learned of the passing of Terry Pardee, retired professor of anatomy and physiology at Ventura College. Terry began his educational career at Newbury Park High School in 1973, followed by Ventura College in 1996.  Prior to that he served as an LAPD reserve officer and also worked for a few years in a research lab at Amgen.   He is loved and remembered by scores of students who are now physicians, paramedics, nurses, and respected by his colleagues.

Please use this link to read Terry’s obituary, a moving “love letter” by Terry’s children.  No services have been announced.

With sadness, VCCCDRA has learned of the recent passing of Lola Rudd, retired computer programmer and professor of computer science at Ventura College.  Lola passed away on May 26, 2024.  No services have been announced.

To read her obituary, please use this link.

Dear Colleagues and Friends, our Retiree’s Association has recently lost Teresa “Terri” Martinez. Terri was born October 3, 1931, and passed away April 26, 2024, of natural causes at the age of 92, in her Ventura home with her daughter Lori at her bedside. Terri worked for the College District for 36 years prior to her retirement in December of 1989. Terri started her career when Ventura High School and Ventura Junior College shared the Main Street campus. When Ventura College separated from the high school district, Terri moved to the Telegraph Road campus site and then to the District Office on Day Rd., when it was built and administrative offices were relocated. She worked in the Personnel Department, as it was known back then, and which eventually became the Human Resources Department. Terri was the only employee of the department for a time, until a Director of Human Resources was hired, and more staff was eventually added. Terri did it all. Processing and screening applications, the testing, setting up eligibility lists, sending candidates out for interview and processing all the new classified employees.  A few of us were fortunate enough to work with her for many years and learned so much from her.

Services for Terri are being held on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at the Ventura Missionary Church, 500 High Point Dr., Ventura, at 11:30 a.m.

Memorial by,
Marie Soo Hoo, Secretary
VCCCDRA (Ventura County Community College District Retirees Association)

It is great sadness that VCCCDRA has learned of the passing of Desmond Jones on October 12, 2023.  Desmond was a retired professor of Economics at Oxnard College, where he was a founding faculty member.  At OC, he taught both political science and economics.

Desmond was born in Wales in 1937 and he served in the RAF after World War II.  He earned a bachelor degree in economics at the London School of Economics.   After he emigrated to the US, Desmond earned masters and doctorate degrees in political science.

A celebration of life for Desmond will be held on December 1, 2023 at 3:30 pm at Vista del Monte Main Lounge, 3775 Modec Road, Santa Barbara, CA.

Please use this link to read Desmond’s obituary.