By: Samantha Bartholomew
Riverside City College professor of business administration and management Ron Pardee died suddenly Sept. 21.
“As a deeply respected and beloved member of the RCC family, Ron left an indelible legacy for all of us at the college and throughout the community,” RCC President Gregory Anderson said. “Ron loved RCC and he committed his life to the benefit of the college and our students.”
“I took a class with Professor Pardee and I enjoyed his humor and wisdom. I knew him for just a few short months and it saddens me,” former RCC student Teresa Nunez Rolstad said. “I believe in life after death and I know he is amongst us here in spirit.”
Along with Cyndi, his wife of nearly 45 years, Pardee was a graduate of the college. Their two sons, Justin and Cambry, also attended RCC. Ron was a faculty member for nearly four decades, serving as dean for seven years. He also taught at other universities, including classes at the graduate level. Ron developed and delivered hundreds of hours of training and provided consulting services for public agencies, multinational corporations, financial institutions, and nonprofit organizations. He was the keynote speaker at 30 conferences and published a number of articles in professional journals.
Anderson said Pardee was cherished by his academic peers, both within and outside the college. In 1991, Pardee was selected by the college’s Academic Senate as the Distinguished Faculty Lecturer. Twice, he was selected as Distinguished Faculty of the Year by the California Community Colleges Economic Development Program. He was recognized as Teacher of the Year by the Association of Community College Trustees for the nine-state Pacific Region. He held the distinction of Master Teacher from the International Conference on Teaching Excellence. However, according to Anderson, the title he was most proud of and “humbly accepted” was the title of Distinguished Professor of Business Administration and Management that he earned over 10 years ago.
“Ron touched many lives through his life’s passion of educating the next generation of learners, and Riverside City College was his home,” Anderson said.
“I first met Ron Pardee back in the 1980s when I started working here at RCC. He was one of those people that was always there and sadly now he isn’t,” Armando Castro, media technician at RCC, said. “He was always a pleasure to be around and I will miss him.”
“His departure has left an incredible void in his beloved family, the Business Department at RCC, the Riverside College, the entire RCCD district and in the community at large,” Dariush Haghighat said.
“Professor Pardee was an icon and his legacy and contributions to our district and his students will last for generations,” Haghighat said.
A celebration of life will be held in Pardee’s honor Nov. 16 at 11 a.m. in the A.G. Paul Quadrangle. All are welcome to attend.