Tragic loss for the Brownsville community

Elementary grieves assistant principal’s sudden loss
Juanita Camarillo dead of natural causes during school trip
The Brownsville Herald

March 10, 2008 – 11:32PM

Juanita Adriana Camarillo is being remembered today as a knowledgeable and professional colleague dedicated to her work at Yturria Elementary, where she served as assistant principal at the start of this school year until her unexpected death Saturday in Houston.

Colleagues are grieving today after Camarillo did not return from a school trip, where students competed in the annual Texas State Scholastic Chess Championship.

School officials report they last spoke with Camarillo Saturday morning and planned a dinner that evening. She was found dead in her hotel room Sunday morning, of apparent natural causes, according to Houston police. Camarillo was 51.

Students on the trip were informed of Camarillo’s death Sunday afternoon after they wrapped up competition.

The group returned to Brownsville at 4 a.m. Monday, school district spokeswoman Drue Brown said. Upon arriving, they were greeted by Area Superintendent Berta Peña, Yturria principal Norma Jean Torres and the school’s counselor.

Camarillo was the administrator in charge of the trip. She complained of cold symptoms but assured Torres that she was well enough to make the weekend trip to Houston.

“She had a cold during the week, but she said it was nothing she couldn’t handle,” Torres recalled. “She had been with us for eight months. She transferred in from Perkins Middle School and she was one of my assistant principals.”

The group last had contact with Camarillo at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, when she cancelled plans to join them for dinner. Instead, she returned to her room at the Hilton Las Americas Hotel on the 1600 block of Lamar, to rest. Her body was found just after 11 a.m. the next morning.

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We offer our condolences to Mrs. Camarillo’s family and the chess community in Brownsville.