A memorial is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 24 for Heather Haworth, a long-time math and science teacher at Redmond Junior High who passed away on Jan. 6 due to complications from cystic fibrosis. She was 38 years old.

The memorial will begin at 2:20 p.m. at Redmond High School.

Haworth started working at Redmond Junior High in 1995 and taught science until 2004. She was an expert in inquiry-based learning and was passionate about educating students on the importance of environmental issues.

“It was in Mrs. Haworth’s class that I first began to appreciate how serious the climate crisis was,” said former student Andrew Villeneuve, 22. “She devoted a special unit to explaining global warming and the greenhouse effect that was truly eye-opening. It was like watching ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ four years in advance.”

Haworth switched to teaching math full-time in the fall of 2004, after finding out she was pregnant with her son, Prestin. Her math students benefited from her fast-paced lessons, which utilized technology and fun and featured inspiring activities.

“Even if we spent the entire period working on one homework question, she didn’t get mad or frustrated,” said ninth-grader Paul DeWater, one of Haworth’s students. “She went through the problem step-by-step until everybody understood.”

She received a number of awards throughout her teaching career, including being named the Redmond Junior High PTSA’s Outstanding Educator for the 2007-08 school year.

“Heather was an educator who cared about people holistically,” said her co-worker and friend, Chris Fleharty. “When working with students, regardless of their background, she was patient and caring and helped those around her blossom.”

During her 13 years teaching at Redmond Junior High, Haworth also took hundreds of her female students on Expanding Your Horizons field trips. These field trips were designed to expose the students to potential career paths in math and science that were traditionally male-oriented fields.

An avid tennis player, Haworth also coached girls’ tennis at Redmond Junior High, starting with the junior varsity in 1998 before becoming the varsity coach from 1999-2004.

“Her sense of humor, quick wit, dedication and energy will be greatly missed,” said her co-worker and friend, Floyd Henry. “She will leave a lasting legacy for her students, fellow teachers, family and friends.”

Haworth grew up in Tacoma and attended Foss High School. She attended the University of Redlands in Redlands, Calif. and also obtained a Master’s in Education from the University of Washington.

Haworth is survived by her husband David and her son Prestin, age 4. She is also survived by her mother, Teri Foreman and her father, Bill Foreman.