Month: August 2026

Categories
Obituaries

Carolyn Dorrance’s Passing

Carolyn Dorrance

UPDATE: We have received information regarding services for Carolyn Dorrance.
A memorial service will be held at Unity Church, 227 E. Arrellaga Street in Santa Barbara, at 2:00 PM on September 5, 2026. All are invited. Please RSVP to gerry@worldculture.org if you are coming. To watch through streaming, go to:

Link to Carolyn’s
Memorial Service

For more information: www.worldculture.org

With sadness, VCCCDRA has learned of the passing of Carolyn Dorrance on Saturday, May 23, 2026 after a brief illness.

Carolyn was a founding faculty at Oxnard College, having been hired in 1975. She served as a political science professor for 39 years, retiring in May 2014. In retirement, Carolyn served district retirees as a member of the VCCCDRA Executive Board as chair of the Scholarship Committee, a role that she fulfilled with dedication and deep commitment.

Carolyn received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history/political science from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts; a Master of Science from Columbia University; and a doctorate, Ph.D., from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Please use this link to read Carolyn’s obituary.

Please use this link to read a tribute to Carolyn by Oxnard College’s President of the Academic Senate, Dolores Ortiz.

Categories
Obituaries

Rene Rodriguez’ Death

Rene Rodriguez
Rene Rodriguez

It is with profound sadness that the VCCCDRA has learned of the passing of Rene Rodriguez on July 25, 2026, due to cardiac arrest.

Rene worked for the college district for 34 years as a faculty member (mathematics and Spanish), as an institutional researcher for the district office, as a dean on all three campuses, and as Vice President of Business Services at both Ventura and Oxnard Colleges. In retirement, Rene worked tirelessly on behalf of the VCCCD retirees through his work on the executive board of VCCCDRA and at the state level on the board of Division 28 of the California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA). One need only peruse VCCCDRA’s Executive Board History document to see the number of board positions and the number of years Rene served the VCCCDRA. Rene, together with Gary Johnson, worked to protect district retirees’ medical benefits in the first lawsuit. Likewise, he was instrumental in the current lawsuit.

Rene’s value, presence, and his friendship will be missed. We do not have information on any services.

Please use this link to read Rene’s obituary.

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