SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Mary Jane Arlene Hoeflich of Yosemite/Palo Alto, Calif., died on Thursday evening, Jan. 26, in Santa Clara, Calif., after a long battle with cancer that began in September of 2005.
Born in San Gabriel, California, to her mother from Thailand, Som Jit Wanalee, and her American father, Jay Alvin Green, on June 26, 1970.
Mary graduated from paramedic school in 1991, become a paramedic preceptor in 1993, worked for various 911 agencies and went on to teach and administrate paramedic programs in 1997. She was tenured faculty and director of the paramedic program at Foothill College, worked for CA EMSA as an administrator for Paramedic national exams, served as a paramedic expert witness to numerous law firms, and was an independent contractor creating pre-hospital education courses. Mary earned her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from SFSU in 2006 while being treated with chemotherapy for her first bout with cancer and went on to attain her master’s degree in applied anthropology Jan. 25, 2012, from SJSU.
Mary was co-director, board member and consultant for Stanford School of Medicine International EMS Education. She traveled to India and Nepal to establish the first pre-hospital emergency response ambulance agencies and schools. She was published in the Hallmark, Journal of Emergency Medical Services, Pre-hospital and Disaster Medicine, Practicing Anthropology and Academic Emergency Medicine.
She was an avid outdoor adventurer. Mary traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Utah, Nevada and New York to rock-climb and explore. She chose to live out her days in Yosemite because she wanted to be with Jack.
Mary is survived by her husband, Jack; her brother, Jayson & Luke; her sister Emma; her mother Jackie; and her father, Jay; and her nieces, Rochelle, Colleen, Meghan, and Gabby, her aunt and uncle, Susanne & Paul; as well as many, many devoted friends.