Part of our What’s New in the PVS Neighborhood series

By 8th-Grade Blogger Soleil Antle

This past year, we lost retired Palm Valley teacher Mr. Ray Smythe. He was one of Palm Valley’s favorite history teachers. Last Sunday, loved ones hosted a Celebration of Life for Mr. Smythe. In The Desert Sun, it was noted that Mr. Smythe’s years as a teacher extended through middle and high school history teaching “for 39 years in Washington, Oregon and California.” Mr. Smythe wrote seven books on personal experiences like the loss of his partner and what the journey after felt like. Some of his books include Coping with Grief, Tips to Improve Your Retirement Experience, Creating a Positive Life one Column at a Time, and more. He was known at our school for printing out cards with quotes and giving them to people at grocery stores or really any public setting. He wrote a column for The Desert Sun. He was an Oregon Teacher of the Year. We mourn the loss of Mr. Smythe while also cherishing all the memories we had with him.