A beloved Pima Butte Elementary School teacher has died after a year-long battle with cancer.

Third-grade teacher Denise Palmer, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 large B-cell lymphoma last March, died last week. Maricopa Unified School District staff and leaders remembered her as a longtime pillar of the school community.

“For more than two decades, she poured her heart into her classroom, touching the lives of countless students and staff with kindness and patience,” said Superintendent Tracey Lopeman in a statement.

Palmer’s diagnosis with the fast-growing blood cancer and her subsequent treatment prompted an outpouring of support earlier this year. Community members organized a GoFundMe in February, followed by a cancer walk and fundraiser in March.

She joined MUSD in 2005 as a student teacher at Pima Butte after several years in the private sector. Palmer previously told InMaricopa becoming a teacher had always been her dream.

“I just always wanted to be a teacher, I just didn’t know how to get into it until I got my teaching certificate,” she said. “I enjoy [the kids’] spunk … and just getting to know all the families and watching the kids grow up.”

Lopeman said Palmer’s impact extended beyond the classroom.

“Her legacy will be felt for years to come through the students she taught, the colleagues she befriended and the families who trusted her with their children each day,” she said. “Our hearts break for the Pima Butte family as they mourn the loss of Ms. Palmer.”