Susan D. Ross

Susan Diane Ross, a beloved elementary school teacher, passed away on January 3, 2021. Sue was born in a U.S.Naval Hospital in Oakland, California. As the youngest child of Bill and Lillian Ross, Sue spent her early years with her family overseas. She told many stories of life as a child in Europe, sitting along Avenue Des Champs Elysees doing her homework after school, visiting museums with her mother, instilling a love of art and renaissance paintings as well as enjoying the archeological wonders of France and Spain.
Her family moved to Camarillo in 1974 where Sue attended Camarillo Heights Elementary School and Monte Vista Junior High. She graduated from Camarillo High School and went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts degree and teaching credential from CSUN. Susan's first teaching assignment was in Port Hueneme where she taught kindergarten. She was then offered a position with Pleasant Valley School District where she returned to teach 4th and 5th grade at her alma mater, Camarillo Heights. Ms. Ross went on to teach 4th grade at Dos Caminos and Los Primeros School of Sciences and Arts.
Ms. Ross was an exemplary educator earning the Chamber of Commerce Teacher Award and was nominated for the District Teacher of the Year Award. She was one of the first teachers to complete her GATE credential at CLU so that she could enrich the educational programs in her classroom and at her school. She was a master teacher and mentored many student teachers guiding them to navigate through the tides of teaching.
Susan's passion was entwined with her students and her classroom. She coached the winning Super Quiz teams for the Camarillo Academic Olympics, was the chairperson of school spelling bees, was involved with the yearbook, and myriad other volunteer activities that enriched student learning. Ms. Ross cared deeply for all of her students and was always available to help struggling students with before or after school support so that they could be successful. Her classroom was enriched with all of the technology she embraced. She took her students on field trips and loved to teach about the California Gold Rush with a school gold rush day complete with gold panning and square dancing!
In Sue's personal life her creative passion was card making. They were truly pieces of art. She was an avid reader, baker, and loved her Saturdays perusing the Farmer's Market in town. Her little Pomeranian Zoe, was always with her. You could see Ms. Ross every morning and evening out walking with Zoe. On special occasions Zoe would come to class and the children loved her.
Susan Ross will be missed by her family, friends, and colleagues, but most of all by the hundreds of children who had their lives influenced by a most wonderful teacher.