Pasco teacher loses battle with cancer

PASCO -- Vickie Valdez was devoted to her students at Pasco High School.

Even when she was diagnosed with end-stage cancer, she kept coming to work. She'd show up between rounds of chemotherapy and radiation.

The 53-year-old also was a loving mother who cherished her three kids.

"Through her heart and her soul she left a part of herself with everybody she came across," said her daughter, Breeanna Valdez, 29, of Salem. "She was compassionate and giving, an amazing woman who lived for others."

Valdez died last month after battling cancer for about a year.

She was a special education teacher at Pasco High who had a way with kids in need of extra attention and support, colleagues and family said. She worked tirelessly for them, often winning over even the ones who seemed toughest to reach, they said.

"She somehow inspired kids to keep going to school. She inspired kids to make better choices in their lives," said Angie Bailey, a fellow teacher.

She also was a spirited activist who fought her whole life for underdogs and people in need of a helping hand, friends and family said. She lived for years in Independence, Ore., and served on the city council there. She also ran for state Senate, traveled the world and earned a master's degree.

Valdez wasn't afraid to take powerful people to task or hold them accountable, Breeanna said. She used that same tenacity in her fight against cancer.

Valdez was diagnosed after a doctor's visit last fall. She made the appointment because she was having some back pain; it turned out she had cancer throughout her body.

Despite the grim prognosis, Valdez was determined to live for her children and students.

"She wasn't going to leave her students. She was going to make it. She wasn't going to tell them because she didn't want them to hurt. She wanted them to finish out strong and be successful," Breeanna said.

Valdez was able to finish last school year but was too sick to return to work this fall.

Her children said she was always there for them, even in hard times. Along with Breeanna, Valdez also has daughter Xola, 24, and son Bear, 15.

Bear's dad died when he was a toddler and he's living with Xola while he finishes his sophomore year at Kamiakin High School in Kennewick. He said his mom was outgoing, creative and "absolutely hilarious" with a silly side.

One of her favorite things to do was participate in Peace and Dignity runs, which are held every four years as a way to unite indigenous people and help them reconnect with traditional spiritual practices. The runs stretch from Alaska to Argentina.

Valdez and Bear joined the run from Oregon to New Mexico in summer 2008. It was an incredible experience, the 15-year-old said.

And Valdez was an incredible mom who worked hard to care for her family, her son said.

"She was an absolutely phenomenal woman. Anyone who knows her, they'd know why I said that," Bear said.

Memorial services already have been held in Oregon and the Tri-Cities. Valdez's Pasco High colleagues are hoping to plant a tree in her memory.

-- Sara Schilling: 582-1402; sschilling@tricityherald.com