As an undergraduate student, Ronna changed the course of my life when she recruited me to join the forensics team. I was a struggling student on the edge of dropping out. She saw something in me and cultivated a love for critical thinking and debate through her teaching and mentorship. I went on to become an advocate for education and a three term Assemblywoman in the Nevada Legislature, in no small part due to her life altering impact on me as a teacher who cared. Thank you to her family for sharing her with us. She was a small but mighty bright light in this world and her presence will be missed but her influence lives on.

I met Ronna in 1986 when I started working in the Office of Admissions and Records at the University of Nevada-Reno. Ronna and I were sitting in the breakroom one day and Ronna said that she like me. I told her that I liked her too! We became friends and would meet for lunch when possible. When I changed jobs so that I worked in Carson City, NV, where I lived, Ronna would travel to Carson City from Reno and we would have lunch at the Carson Nugget where we would sit and eat for hours and just talk. In 1999, my husband and I moved to the Seattle area. I do not remember the year Ronna contacted me but her husband had passed away and her daughter and her family moved to Puyallup, WA. Ronna followed and also moved to Puyallup. I did not live far from there, so Ronna and I started meeting for lunch. Eventually we would meet for lunch at Olive Garden in Puyallup since they would let us sit, eat and talk for many hours. Ronna and I had great conversations about international events, travel, books, our families and our friends. I loved Ronna so much and will miss those talks. She touched so many lives and will be missed around the world. - Barbara Bengston

My condolences to the family for your loss. Please know how grateful I am to Ronna for being a mentor to me as a debater and young half-Asian American woman at the University of Nevada, Reno. Ronna, if you can hear my thought/prayer, I learned a lot from you about how to better apply critical thinking skills to statements and arguments. I also appreciated the personal stories we shared at debate practice and tournaments that helped me to make sense of the world, such as how our lives, family members, and ancestors have been touched by wars, white supremacy, and patriarchy. Although our interactions became much less frequent after I left Reno, I would think of you and our conversations often and always enjoyed bumping into you on Facebook. I will miss being able to look you up and ask you what you think about things, but you left a wondrous legacy. I am only one of what must be hundreds of students you have worked with over your life. Many challenges lie ahead for humanity, but you were a teacher and coach that prepared us all to make productive contributions to society during such challenging times. Even though you are gone, I am heartened by the thought of how you live on within the people who shared lessons with you, large and small.

what a beautiful person. her joy and curiosity were matched only by kindness and support for others. we have truly lost a special soul in this world.