Mary Jo Parise Parise-Malloy

Mary Jo Parise-Malloy, 48, passed away Wednesday morning, May 12 in Las Vegas with her loving family at her side. Born November 5, 1961 in Cleveland, OH, she is survived by her husband, Max; son, Matthew; and daughter Megan, all of Las Vegas. Mary Jo died after a long, courageous battle with colon cancer.

Mary Jo was the co-founder and president of Nevadans for Quality Education (NQE), a non-profit grassroots organization created to advocate for education in Nevada. She was the driving force behind this respected watchdog group and was frequently called upon by the media and elected officials to provide comments related to student achievement and education issues. Influential and tireless, she could generate hundreds of phone calls and emails to elected officials within a few hours. She organized town hall meetings and rallies attended by hundreds of people. Even as her illness progressed, she continued to work to improve education; she was a fighter to the end. Under her leadership, NQE received the Nevada Association of School Board K-12 Public Education Advocacy Organization Award.

Known for her sharp wit, spunk and optimism, Mary Jo was a force to be reckoned with in any arena, but none felt her influence more than her family. She created a beautiful, nurturing home where her family was surrounded by love and beauty. Almost everything she did was motivated out of love for her children. She loved to celebrate holidays by decorating her home, especially at Christmas, and often spent an entire day cooking Italian food enjoyed by her family and their friends. She loved the ocean, the color red, and gerbera daisies.

Mary Jo was the recipient of CCSD Southeast Region’s Excellence in Education Award, and was inducted into the Clark County School District Excellence in Education Hall of Fame for her dedication and extraordinary and lasting contributions to education. Mary Jo had hundreds of friends across the state of Nevada, including many elected officials and other influential community leaders. Her passing leaves a void that can never be filled.

A celebration of Mary Jo’s life will be held at the Palm-Northwest Heritage Garden, 6701 North Jones, on Saturday, May 29 from 12 noon to 2:00 PM; please do not wear black and dress casual. Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or to the Patricia Bendorf Elementary School Library.