Cameron Crosby Rowe

La Quinta - However you knew Cameron Rowe (educator, champion of underdogs, mischief maker), he showed up passionate, fierce, and fun, a protector with a disarming wit whose tough looks and swagger belied that he was a softie who called his 97-year-old grandmother every Sunday. He had a way-call it charisma, call it infectious-that drew people to him.

A middle school assistant principal, he greeted students with fist-bumps. Parents came out of meetings laughing. He believed mistakes didn't define you; everything was a learning opportunity; always leave it better than you found it. Cameron spoke to all students with respect, kindness, immense patience, and was always true to his word. He built trust with students and supervisors alike. He understood challenging kids because he had been one.

He was born in Berkeley on September 12, 1979, and raised in nearby Piedmont. He spent hours and hours outside in his neighborhood playing, a typical '80s childhood. He had a love for animals, often rescuing those in need from the most unexpected places. Summers at Fallen Leaf Lake fostered his lifelong connection to the outdoors.

In high school, he played soccer and baseball, wrestled, and served as the coxswain for the crew team. He attended college on a soccer scholarship as a goalie and after noticing a need in his local community, he was inspired to establish after-school programs. As a coach, he bought suits and ties for the students to dress up on game days.

He graduated from the University of Redlands with bachelor's degrees in sociology and anthropology in 2003, taking a year off along the way to teach in Bangkok, Thailand. He worked his way from paraprofessional to teacher to administrator, earning his master's degree in Educational Leadership from California State University, East Bay in 2021. He was often the first to arrive at John Glenn Middle School each morning, where he was assistant principal, getting screen time out of the way so when the students showed up he was fully present to make personal connections the rest of the day. For Cameron, a 4 am wake-up was sleeping in.

Cameron married Michelle Palmer on July 5, 2018, in a sunset wedding on Isla Mujeres, Mexico. They joked they were each other's arm candy, but their love ran deep. With their shared passions for education and travel, they built a world around each other. Their joy was palpable. They settled in La Quinta, had a house with a pool in the front yard and an elderly pitbull named Benny. Cameron could melt Michelle's troubles away with a well-timed wink.

Cameron had a fast-paced numbers brain and excelled in dice and dominoes-"bones." He never cheated but it was hard to believe he hadn't. He loved rock-n-roll but couldn't carry a tune. He had terrible handwriting. He would poke at people, test their limits. With his tattoos and Oakland graphic tees, he looked intimidating to some, bad-ass to others, a little bit cocky. But he also had dimples and a certain gushiness with Benny and as an affectionate "tio" to his niece. He played pickleball with a bald friend-they were The Picklebalds. He was a picky eater who loved cheesesteak-it had to be from The Cheese Steak Shop.

And Cameron loved travel. He embraced every culture he encountered and was learning Spanish. Despite his finicky eating, his favorite snack was chicatana ants from Oaxaca. He brought dried crickets and grasshoppers to school and encouraged the students to try them. Every school break was earmarked with a new adventure. He embraced Mexican culture most of all because Michelle is Mexican, and the couple hoped to move there one day.

One of Cameron's favorite hobbies was golf, and he counted every stroke. He hit everything and played everything no matter how difficult the lie or treacherous the terrain. His honesty on the course reflected his integrity in life. Cameron would put on the collared shirt but preferred to golf in flip flops when he could get away with it.

The staff at his school will wear t-shirts with ROWE! printed on the back this spring, to celebrate a man who did everything with heart, whose love and work were one and the same.

Cameron is survived by his wife, Michelle Amber-Palmer Rowe; parents, Edward H. Rowe, Bryn and Paul Bettelheim; grandmother, Bambi Bisho; sister, Molly (Evan) Harrington; step-brothers, Matthew (Sarah) Bettelheim and Mark Bettelheim; nephew, Noah Bettelheim; and niece, Mia Harrington, who he called Mia Tortilla. He was preceded in death by his beloved grandfather, Thomas Bisho.

A celebration of life will be held Sunday, March 23, at 2:30 p.m. at Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert. His ashes will be scattered at Fallen Leaf Lake, a much-loved place from his childhood summers.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Cameron's name to the Boys & Girls Club of the Coachella Valley: www.bgcofcv.org