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http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Obituaries Weather Archive Hot Topics Most Viewed Forum Photo Gallery Video Readers Polls Revels Etcetera Backpage O-Zone Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Online Games Movie Preview November 20, 2006 School district gathers to remember teacher By Alan Panebaker Ashland Daily Tidings Kelly Tears flowed as laughter and music filled the air Saturday when more than 100 people gathered to remember a long-time teacher in the Ashland School District. Lynnette Kelly died Nov. 7 after a five-year struggle with cancer. She was 59 years old. Kelly taught in Ashland for more than a decade. She brought a knowledge of deaf education and a patience and kindness to Lincoln Elementary when she arrived in 1990, friends said. Former students reflected on how Kelly touched their lives at the Best Western Windsor Inn Saturday, and family members remembered the pain of watching a healthy woman fade away in the face of cancer. Kelly's tennis partners spoke of her tough side as a competitive athlete, and teachers, students, parents and friends remembered the impact Kelly had on those she taught. Barbara Heyerman, who worked with Kelly at Lincoln Elementary School, said she was the type of humble teacher would mentor young teachers and connect with students as a friend also. "She was a real advocate for students who had life challenges," Heyerman said. Kelly earned a master's degree in deaf education from Lewis and Clark College in Portland. Her 38-year teaching career began at West Linn Elementary School in Portland. Kelly continued to use her fluency in sign language to help deaf children when she and her family moved to Ashland in 1990. Kelly's diagnosis with breast cancer didn't hinder her desire to keep teaching. She persevered through cancer treatment, returning to teaching after a six-month hiatus. When Kelly had to cut her hair because of the treatment in 2004, two students in her blended class at Lincoln Elementary cut off 10 inches of their own to donate it to the non-profit Locks of Love organization in her honor. Locks of Love makes hairpieces for financially disadvantaged children who suffer from long-term medical hair loss. Kelly lived through the treatment to travel to Guatemala in 2002 and win a regional tennis tournament in 2006. She returned to teach a first through fifth grade blended class at Walker Elementary with Mark Sherbow and would have returned this school year if she could, her husband said. Heyerman said Kelly's patience with children made her a role model for other teachers during her time at Lincoln. "She was more quietly a leader rather than being at the forefront," she said. Kelly spent the final month of her life with her family nearby in Ashland. Her quiet passing set a somber tone in the Ashland School District, and fellow teachers and friends pulled together to remember her subtle ways. Kelly's husband, Mark Kelly, said the Rogue Valley will remember her for her teaching above all else. "You touch so many people teaching," Mark Kelly said. "It just multiplies." A scholarship fund through the Oregon Community Foundation has been set up in Kelly's name. To donate to the Lynnette Kelly Scholarship, send a check to 1221 S.W. Yamhill St., Suite 100, Portland, OR 97205-2108. Staff writer Alan Panebaker can be reached at 482-3456 x 227 or [email protected] . Current Comments: What a sweet and gentle person she was. Ashland's education community has lost a gem. Martha Hammann - Port Orchard, Washington - November 20th, 8:23 PM Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising Inkjet Printers Student Loans Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Advertisement: Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.