Tamara Gentry Medrano |
| Posted 2022-03-28 by mhenderson |
| Published by Mohave Daily News Online from Mar. 27 to Mar. 28, 2022 - Bullhead City, Arizona - Tamara Gentry Medrano (Genny), age 50, a resident of Needles, California, passed away on Sunday, February 20, 2022. Gentry was born on April 16, 1971, in Upland, California, along with her twin sister Tiesha Gabrielle Price. She grew up in Ontario, California until the age of nine and attended Mission Elementary School. In August of 1980, her family moved to Needles, California to be closer to her father's family and her father accepted a new teaching position at Needles High School. Gentry attended Vista Colorado Elementary School, Needles Middle School, and Needles High School. She excelled not only academically but also in extra-curricular activities, including the Drama Club, Student Government and was heavily involved with the school newspaper. Gentry also had her own weekly student column "Coming Around Again" in the Needles Desert Star. In June of 1989, she graduated at the top of her class as valedictorian from Needles High School. She would go on to attend the University of California at Berkeley and in 1994 graduated in the top third of her class with a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communications. In August of 1995 Gentry returned home to Needles and was a substitute teacher at Vista Colorado Elementary school, Needles Middle School, Needles High School, and River Valley High School. In the fall of 1996 Gentry returned to the University of California at Berkeley after receiving a fully funded Journalism fellowship. She would then go on to graduate with a master's degree in journalism in May of 1998. Gentry returned home to Needles and began working for the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe at the Education Department and then moved on to the Tribal Police Department and was their Public Relations Officer. In 2005 Gentry moved to Moab, Utah but eventually found her way back home to Mohave Valley. In 2013 she began working again for the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe in various positions. In 2018 she was hired as the Public Relations Director for the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe. In this position she was actively involved with the daily communication to our Tribal community. She was very passionate about the work she preformed, always going above and beyond not only in helping our Tribal Government but also offering any assistance she could provide to our Tribal membership. She oversaw all planning of Tribal functions and communicated with outside agencies regarding Tribal affairs. Gentry had a passion for reading, writing, traveling, and spending time with her sisters, nieces, and nephews. She was also very passionate about the work she had accomplished and was tremendously proud to be a member of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe. Gentry was preceded in death by her mother, Gladys Jo (Pearson) Medrano; and her grandparents, Raymond and Dorothy Kormes. She is survived by her father, Jack Medrano; sisters, Tiesha Gabrielle (Medrano) Price, Trella Jacqueline (Medrano) Lillard, and brother-in-Law Raymond Lillard; nieces, Dakota Rae Lillard, Hannah Gabrielle Price; nephews, Eason Lane Lillard, Kobe Derek Price; and great nephews, Tucker Raymond Geer and Cooper Shane Geer. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on March 30, 2022, at Desert Lawn Funeral Home. 9250 S Ranchero Ln. Mohave Valley, Arizona 86440. |
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