Mara Lee Southern

Professor Mara Southern tells her expectations for students she advises.

SOUTHERN, Mara Lee, Ph.D., 59, of Reno, Nevada, formerly of the San Jose area, passed away July 15, 2002.
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Mara Lee Southern, Ph.D.Retired educator, loved mother and sister passed away on July 15, 2002, after a lengthy illness.She was two weeks shy of her 60th birthday.Her family and friends fondly remember her keen intellect, her sharp humor, her creative spirit, and her occasional irreverence.She was born in Meridian, Mississippi on August 2, 1942, third daughter to the late Charles Leo Southern, Master Sergeant, USAF (retired) and the late Dorothy Hartwell Southern.She traveled much in her youth, following her father's career, and attended high school in San Rafael, California; Bushey Park, England; and Weisbaden, Germany, from where she graduated.She earned her Bachelor of Science degree at San Jose State University and then went on to Stanford University to complete her Ph.D. in psychology.She became a full professor at San Jose State University, where she was also Director of the Department of Testing and Evaluation for 28 years.It was there that her talents as a true teacher and a superb manager blossomed while she developed a reputation as a brilliant statistician and became a mentor to many in the education field.A former resident of the San Jose area, she had lived in Reno, Nevada since 1997.She is survived and dearly missed by her daughter Morgan Plant, of San Jose, California; her sisters and brothers-in-law Patricia and Dewey Martin, of Tylertown, Mississippi; Gail Stine of San Rafael, California; and Vicki and Paul Gray of Novato, California; as well as many loving nieces and nephews.Her former husband, the late Tim Plant, Ph.D., was also a professor at San Jose State University.A Memorial Service will be held Sunday, July 21, 2002, at 1:30 p.m. at San Jose State University's Spartan Memorial Chapel.

Obituary Listings for Friday, July 19, 2002