Emily de la Cruz passed away at her home on May 13, 2014 after a year-long battle with cancer.-Emily was born in Modesto, California, raised in San Jose, attended Lynbrook High School and continued her education at the University of California, Santa Barbara.-Emily’s passion was education and she dedicated her life to mentoring and teaching teachers.

She began her career in the Cupertino Union School District (California) as an English as a Second Language/Spanish instructor and continued as a primary teacher at Montebello School, a one-room school house in the Santa Cruz Mountains.-She received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, also from UCSB, and was an associate professor at Portland State University at the time of her death.-Emily co-wrote multiple educational-related publications and presented them at various conferences throughout the years, both in the U.S. and internationally.

Emily was also a member of PEO International (Chapter PC), a philanthropic organization that focuses on the advancement of women through education and scholarship. She is survived by her husband, William H. Parm; son, Virgilio Ramon de la Cruz; step-daughter, Melissane Parm Schrems; brother, David Smith; sisters, Rebecca Bush and Paula Smith; and mother, Dottie Rae Smith.-A private internment will take place in San Jose.-A public memorial service will be held in July, with details to be posted at a later time.-In lieu of flowers, contributions in Emily’s memory may be made to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.