Photo used with permission by Randy Tunnell
The Monterey Peninsula Unified School District joins the Seaside community and the entire Monterey Peninsula in mourning the loss of Helen B. Rucker, an educator, librarian, activist, mentor, and trailblazing community leader, who passed away on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
Helen’s legacy is woven into the foundation and history of MPUSD. She served the district for more than 25 years as a teacher and librarian, shaping countless young minds before retiring in 1988. Her dedication to literacy, civic engagement, and student empowerment left an indelible mark on the classrooms and communities she touched.
Her impact only grew after retirement. Helen went on to serve on the MPUSD Board of Trustees from 2005 to 2013, where she championed equity, inclusion, and expanded opportunities for every student. Her leadership helped strengthen the district’s commitment to ensuring that all children, especially those from historically underserved communities, had access to a high-quality education.
A proud educator and fierce advocate for civil rights, Helen believed deeply in the transformative power of public education. She and her late husband, Platoon Sergeant James Rucker, an Army veteran who served at Fort Ord, extended that belief to future generations through philanthropy. Beginning in 1998, they funded an annual scholarship for local high school graduates; their generosity later grew into a permanent endowment, the Platoon Sergeant James Rucker and Helen B. Rucker Scholarship, ensuring ongoing support for students pursuing higher education.
“Helen Rucker was a giant in our community,” said PK Diffenbaugh, Superintendent, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District. “She was a voice for justice, a champion for our youth, and a leader whose impact will resonate across MPUSD for generations. Her unwavering belief in the power of education changed lives. We are profoundly grateful for her service, her vision, and her legacy of love for our students.”
MPUSD extends its deepest condolences to the Rucker family, friends, and all who were touched by Helen’s extraordinary life and work. Her legacy will continue to inspire our district, our schools, and every student whose life she helped shape.