My name is Nancie Zane. My sister, Dr. Robin Zane, the first woman and the first deaf educator to lead the State Special Schools and Services Division (SSSSD) of the California Department of Education, died unexpectedly on Monday, January 17, 2022 as a result of previously undiagnosed cancer. She had just turned 70.

 

Robin was a remarkable woman who built her career around advocating for the best services and education for deaf and hearing-impaired students and their families at the California School for the Deaf, the Diagnostic Center, Northern California, and finally in the California Department of Education.

 

In recognition of her life work, Robin's family and mine are partnering with the Diagnostic Center, Northern California to establish a memorial garden and bench to symbolically preserve Robin's presence within the educational communities where she had worked. In addition, we want to establish a scholarship fund in Robin's name to offer assistance to deaf and hearing-impaired students.