Paly students and teachers remembered social studies teacher Arlene Camm fondly today at a memorial service at Los Altos Christ Episcopal Church. The campus learned on Monday that Camm had lost her battle with cancer on Tuesday, Dec. 29.

Camm took a leave of absence and initially planned to come back six weeks into the first semester, according to Economics teacher Debbie Whitson. In the meantime, Whitson and substitute David Joki took over Camm’s Economics classes. However, Camm extended her absence until second semester. Shortly before winter break, Camm contacted the history and social science department and said she could not return in time to teach in the new semester, according to Whitson.

“She was still buying AP Econ books in fall [in preparation for second semester],” Whitson said. “It wasn’t as if she’d thrown in the towel. She was definitely counting on coming back to teach.”

Born in Virginia, Camm grew up in the United States, Japan and Germany to earn her BA from Stanford University in 1973, according to her memorial Web site. According to Whitson, teaching was a midlife career change for Camm. Before deciding to become a teacher, Camm worked with Stanford’s property management group and was Apple Computer’s International Treasurer.

Camm began teaching A.P. Psychology, U.S. History and Economics at Paly in 2007, according to a Campanile article, which profiled her soon after she arrived.

Whitson immediately recognized Camm as a storyteller upon their first meeting.

“She is very talkative,” Whitson said. “Right off the bat you’re engaged with her. She has all these interesting stories. She always had something to say and embellish on.”

According to Whitson, Camm had several family military connections, including her father, a grandfather, and a son. Whitson found that Camm’s stories about her father’s military career and other subjects would come out unexpectedly in Camm’s classes.

“Stories would come flying out at random times,” Whitson said.

According to social studies Instructional Supervisor Eric Bloom, Camm was always eager to improve her teaching techniques to maximize student learning.

“She was like a sponge,” Bloom said. “She would soak up so much and tried to figure out what makes good teaching work–-always self-critical and revising her methods to help herself be more clear and her students understand better,” Bloom said.

George Kadifa, class of 2009, was a student in Camm’s AP Psychology class and saw her passion for teaching.

“To Ms. Camm, teaching psychology was not merely about teaching a subject matter,” Kadifa said. “Rather, it was about teaching what was in her mind, a vital life skill.”

Camm was always determined to ensure students maximized their potential and had faith in all of her students.

“She would not give up on anyone–-she often would talk about an individual student and how he/she was not doing well but that ‘I know he/she is capable, smart,'” Bloom said. “It is refreshing to see a teacher who first looks to herself and what she is doing when a student is failing and then try to find a way to get the kid back on track.”

Camm was an inspiration to many of her students.

“I will always remember the confidence she had in me not only to succeed in school, but to succeed in life,” Kadifa said. “She was always there to provide advice and encouragement to me throughout the time I knew her and I know that if she were alive, she would continue to encourage me to greater heights.”

Camm’s warm personality will be missed by her colleagues. She is survived by her parents, brother, husband, three sons and daughter.

“We’ll all miss her,” Whitson said. “She was very dear, very personable.”