Anita Lorenzana passed away on January 20, 2019 at the age of 94. She worked in the Admissions and Records Office at Ventura College from 1954 to 1989.
To read Anita’s obituary please, click here.
To visit the VCCCDRA website, click here.
Category: 03 – Obituaries
George Lanning’s Passing
Priscilla Partridge de Garcia’s Passing
Dr. Priscilla Partridge de Garcia, age 76, and former Counselor at Oxnard College passed away on January 15, 2019 at her residence in rural Clarinda, Iowa.
Priscilla was a founding faculty of Oxnard College where she had a profound effect on students, faculty and staff, and the community. Priscilla founded Women’s Day where she invited women of note as key note speakers to a day long event that influenced students and all in attendance. She also founded the Women’s Re-entry Center at the College, and the College’s Foundation. She was also a long-time board member on the County’s United Way Board. In addition to her lasting contributions to the College, she also helped found the Ventura County Leadership Academy, an organization devoted to building leadership by increasing awareness, understanding and appreciation of a variety of critical issues affecting life in Ventura County.
To read Priscilla’s obituary please, click here.
To visit the VCCCDRA website, click here.
Eursell Jett’s Passing
Eursell Jett, Ground Supervisor at Ventura College and later at Oxnard College, passed away on January 14, 2019.
Eursell served on the VCCCDRA Benefits Committee, and served as a named Petitioner and Plaintiff in the lawsuit filed on August 31, 2007 against the VCCCD to protect our healthcare benefits representing the Supervisor/Management Class. We are indebted to Eursell for his service to the VCCCDRA.
To read Eursell Jett’s obituary please, click here.
To visit the VCCCDRA website, click here.
Sandy Trevino’s Passing
On 12/19/2018 1:33 PM, Manuel Trevino wrote:
Rene Rodriguez,
This is Manny Trevino (Moorpark College retiree) writing concerning the passing of my wife, Sandra. She died peacefully last Sunday evening December 16th from complications of lung cancer.
Her passing took place at the UC Davis Medical Center located in Sacramento. She worked as a librarian at Moorpark College. Initially, she worked part time but later became a full time employee. She had about 16 years of service.
She was an Oxnard high graduate in 1959. She attended Ventura College and graduated from Chico State. She later received a Masters degree in Library Science from U.S.C. She cherished her time at Moorpark and made many life long friends.
I was fortunate to be married to such a special person for over 53 years. She was the love of my life and I will sorely miss her.
Manny Trevino
To read Sandra’s obituary please, click here.
To visit the VCCCDRA website, click here.
Harmon Cogert’s Passing
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Re: Harmon Cogert
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2019 17:56:59 -0800
From: Rene <renegrodriguez@gmail.com>
To:Barbara Cogert <bcogert45@gmail.com>
Dear Barbara,
Please accept my condolences on the passing of your husband Harmon. I will be most happy to share this information with college district retirees by placing it on the VCCCDRA Retirees’ Association website (vcccdra.org). It is very nice to know of your association with the Ventura College Nursing Program and to know of the outstanding work that the Ventura College trained nurses provided your husband, and congratulations on your achievements as an employee of the district.
Rene G. Rodriguez
On 1/12/2019 1:58 PM, Barbara Cogert wrote:
I mention the passing of my husband, Harmon Cogert on December 11, 2018 because my family and I have established a Nursing Scholarship with the VC Foundation in his memory. He was fortunate to have received the finest care from RN’s; former grads and current students of the Ventura College Nursing program where I worked as an Administrative Assistant for 15 years. As a former Classified Senate President and the first VCCCD employee to receive the Board of Governors/Chancellor’s Office Classified Employee of the Year in 2011, Harmon supported me in all my endeavors to serve Ventura College and it’s students.
Thank you.
On Sun, Dec 23, 2018 at 9:31 AM Rene <renegrodriguez@gmail.com> wrote:
Barbara,
I’m so sorry to learn of the passing of your husband Harmon. Would it be all right if I passed this on to VCCCD retirees? If you have an obituary or information you would like me to share on our website (vcccdra.org), please send me the information. Could you also say something about yourself and your association with the college district. Thank you.
Rene
On 12/22/2018 5:50 PM, Barbara Cogert wrote:
My husband (Harmon Cogert) passed away on December 11 after a long battle with COPD and other lung issues. Not the greatest time of the year to be in mourning.
George Ragsdale’s Passing
Don B. Medley’s Passing
DON MEDLEY, founder of the VCCCD Retirees’ Association, passed away on Sunday, August 26, 2018. Memorial services were held on September 15 at First Baptist Church. See Obituary. See tribute to Don Medley by colleague and friend, Gary Johnson, in The Monitor – Fall 2018
To visit the VCCCDRA website, click here.
Tom Emma’s Passing
Tom Emma’s Obituary: https://www.kauaimemorialgardens.com/notices/Thomas-Emma
——– Forwarded Message ——–
Subject: Tom Emma – Passed Away
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2019 18:08:39 +0000
From: Katy Lyon <klyon@vcccd.edu>
To: Rene <renegrodriguez@gmail.com>, freevcnet@aol.com <freevcnet@aol.com>, hculotta@outlook.com <hculotta@outlook.com>
Good Morning~
I’m sorry to report that I’ve received word from Tom’s daughter that he passed away in 2017. Please remove him from your membership list.
I remember taking a class from him at VC. He will be missed.
Thanks,
Katy
Katy Lyon
Benefits Analyst
Ventura County Community College District
761 East Daily Drive, Suite 200
Camarillo, CA 93010
(805) 652-5535 phone
(805) 652-7705 fax
klyon@vcccd.edu
Thank You, Don Medley!
From The Monitor, Fall 2018, Page 2
BY GARY JOHNSON
How do you say “thank you” when thank you is not enough? Don Medley founded the VCCCD Retirees Association in 1994 to facilitate an opportunity for community college district retirees to get together socially at least once a year.
His periodic organization and publication of the yellow-covered Membership Roster has made it possible for retirees to maintain contact with one another as well as to be contacted.
Since then, Don’s service has included singlehandedly maintaining and updating a log of names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses for nearly 1,050 members, including those who are now deceased. His service has also included keeping track of dues and payments, chairing the Membership Committee, and mailing the quarterly newsletter, The Monitor.
For most retirees, Don is rightfully the face of the Association, the first go-to person for questions, answers, and information. Many of us have come and gone in leadership roles within the Association, but Don has been the indispensable mainstay person –the glue that has kept us together!
Without Don’s foundational and continuing effort, there would have been no organized response to the District’s challenge to retiree health care coverage in 2005; no ongoing opportunity for retirees to have a voice in District decisions that may affect them; no vehicle for retirees to draw on their District history and experience to con-tinue to serve the District as valuable resources. We are not alone as fortunate recipients of Don’s tremendous generosity of spirit, wisdom, care, guidance, irrepressible energy, and organizational expertise.
Throughout his career as an instructor at Moorpark College and as chair of the Information Systems Department at California Polytechnic University, Pomona, Don supplied his leadership skills to the Data Processing Management Association, where he established several new chapters.
Since retiring as the District’s associate vice chancellor of in-formation systems and research, Don has served the Camarillo Kiwanis Club as president and lieutenant governor, championing many local community projects, including a handicap-accessible playground at Community Center Park. He served regionally as secretary and key fundraiser, always supporting the annual Kiwanis Rose Parade float.
In March 2016 Don and nine others were honored at the Top 10 Community Awards banquet, where Don was given the prestigious Volunteer of the Year Award by the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce.
Underlying Don’s great civic-mindedness is a profoundly religious faith and the loving heart of a great family man. Don is a deacon and longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Camarillo.
Obviously, the world needs and does not have enough Don Medleys, and that certainly extends to Don’s wife Louise who, after nearly 62 years of marriage, is always engaged as a partner with him and, like him, contributes more than her share.
Don and Louise are blessed with three wonderful adult children –Brian, Sherrie, and Tony –as well as two granddaughters, and one grandson who is deceased.
Due to significant health issues, Don has asked to be relieved of his membership management responsibilities. With considerable gratitude to Don, we thank Joy Kobayashi for volunteering to take on the vital role he has played on behalf of the Association.
THANK YOU, Don Medley (and you too, Louise!) for a lifetime of service to all of us.
(Editors note: Don Medley passed away late Sunday evening, August 26, 2018. His memorial service will take place on Saturday, September 15, 2018, at the First Baptist Church of Camarillo. Please see the Membership Report for details.)