626-396-3625
pef@pasedfoundation.org

Our Stories

A Message on the Passing of John Van de Kamp

To our PEF community,

We are saddened by the loss of our longtime friend and supporter, John Van de Kamp, who passed away on Tuesday, March 14, 2017.

John was involved in a number of organizations in and around Pasadena, and set an exceptional example for us all through his civic and philanthropic leadership in our community.  A former Attorney General for the state of California, John was a true champion of justice.  Thankfully for us all, he recognized how important public education is to creating a just and vibrant society.

A graduate of John Muir High School, John supported the work of Pasadena Educational Foundation and the Pasadena Unified School District in a number of ways over the years.  In 2015 he returned to his alma mater as a PEF Principal for a Day. He chaired PEF’s Fund Council since 1992, with his positive businesslike manner, humor, warmth, and appreciation for his fellow community leaders who would come together to brainstorm how to make our schools reach their full potential.

John was instrumental in helping to lead the growth of PEF. My predecessor and friend, Joan Fauvre, had this to say, “In the 1990s John helped PEF initiate its new drive to increase funding for our public schools and continued this commitment to the end of his life. He was a remarkable man, one of a kind, and will be greatly missed by all. Our community has lost a true treasure.”

I am, like so many of you, feeling a great loss right now.  We at the PEF–and, indeed, our entire community–have lost a very dear friend, colleague, and mentor.

Please keep John’s wife, Andrea, and their daughter, Diana, in your thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Patrick Conyers
Executive Director
Pasadena Educational Foundation