COZUMEL, Mexico (10 Jan 2004) -- Laurence Marie Theriat Dunlavy twice beat breast cancer, but in late December, the foreign language teacher died in a scuba diving accident in Mexico. Family members will celebrate her life at 2:30 p.m. today at the Bertram Inn ballroom in Aurora. A native of France, Mrs. Dunlavy, 44, taught both French and Spanish and was recently nominated for the Ohio Foreign Language Association Teacher of the Year award. She also won a case for the Twinsburg Board of Education to teach French and Spanish in the same classroom, blending commonalities and cultures. Mrs. Dunlavy, 44, died Dec. 28 in a scuba diving accident in Cozumel, Mexico. The family said the accident is still under investigation. Born in Paris, Mrs. Dunlavy met her future husband, Keith, in the spring of 1978 at the University of Madrid in Spain, where they were students. She earned language degrees at Cambridge, England, and Madrid. ''Our intellect connected first, then true love followed right away,'' Keith Dunlavy said. Mrs. Dunlavy moved to the United States in 1979. She received a master's degree from Kent State University and taught French and Spanish at KSU and the University of Akron. She also taught in Cleveland Heights, and since 1991 at Twinsburg High School. In the spring of 2003 she won an unprecedented case that allowed her to teach both French and Spanish in the same class period to advanced students. | | ''She testified in the arbitration hearing, and was very dynamic in her beliefs and values on the uniqueness of the course,'' said Twinsburg Superintendent James Jones. ``In fact, the uniqueness of the course was a tribute to her. She was very good at blending the subjects.'' It is believed to be the first ruling of its kind in the state of Ohio. Mrs. Dunlavy, a two-time survivor of breast cancer in the last 10 years, had a passion for living life to the fullest. ''She was known for her audacious spirit, intensity and humor,'' said her husband of 17 years. ''She loved to travel, exploring other countries and cultures.'' She was also great at cooking, and not just cuisine from her French heritage. ''There wasn't anything that she couldn't cook. She could make anything and everything,'' her husband said. She had an appreciation of art. Her father collected art and designed African women's wear. When he died, he left her his African mask collection as well as clothing pieces. Mrs. Dunlavy opened an art gallery in Rootstown, but closed the shop after a year. Her love was teaching, said superintendent Jones, who worked with Mrs. Dunlavy for seven years. ''She had so much energy and enthusiasm for teaching that it showed by the number of students who would sign up for her classes,'' he said. ``She was really popular, her students enjoyed her classes. She really had an impact on them and they were successful -- and that's the ultimate compliment for a teacher.'' |
