BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ
Daily Post Staff Writer
Former San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools Nancy Magee has died from cancer, at age 66.
Magee, a Half Moon Bay resident, retired in February due to her cancer battle, according to Acting Superintendent Marco Chavez.
Magee died Sunday, surrounded by her family, Chavez said.
Magee served nearly eight years as superintendent. Outside of the office, Magee was a water polo player, Chavez said. Magee was also part of a swimming club in Half Moon Bay, where she would swim in the ocean, he said.
Magee’s love for water polo comes after playing in college at San Jose State University, where she received her master’s in Library and Information Science. Magee received her teaching credential and bachelor’s in English from San Diego State.
Magee was an avid sports fanatic and would love to watch the women’s basketball, including the Valkyries, the Bay Area’s WNBA team, Chavez said
Magee would sometimes incorporate her love of sports into her position by doing a cheerleader routine, making everyone laugh, Chavez said.
Magee led with empathy and was lighthearted, Chavez said.
She was a respectful leader who would push to meet her vision, Chavez said. Magee is recognized for leading the county office through the pandemic. Magee was elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. Magee was named Medium County Office of the Year by the California County Superintendents, a nonprofit association. Magee was the driving force behind developing a countywide program to align youth mental health support and services into an easier-to-navigate process.
“She stepped up at the time we needed someone to step up,” Hector Camacho Jr. said.
Camacho, who Magee hired as executive director for equity, social justice, and inclusion, is running for county superintendent and was endorsed by Magee.
Before becoming superintendent, Magee taught as a teacher in the Grossmont Union High School District for 20 years. She moved up to work in the office of education as library services coordinator and associate superintendent.
Magee has two sons, Travis and Noah, and two granddaughters, Avery and Emmy, who live in San Diego.
Dear Nancy, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the opportunity to work alongside you as your executive assistant over the past 8 years and altogether knowing you for 16. It has truly been an honor and a privilege. Throughout that time, we have shared many experiences—both rewarding and challenging—and you approached every moment with unwavering professionalism, strength, and grace.
Your leadership and steadfast passion for students earned well-deserved recognition from numerous agencies and community partners, many of whom value your expertise and dedication. These accolades speak volumes about the respect you have cultivated throughout your career and the impact of your work beyond our organization.
Thank you for your leadership, your compassion, and the lasting legacy you leave behind. Your influence will continue to be felt for years to come, and I am sincerely grateful to have been part of your journey.
With heartfelt appreciation
We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Nancy Magee on Sunday, April 26, 2026. Her loss leaves a silence that is deeply felt across every classroom, every campus, and every corner of our community. She was more than a leader—she was a steady presence, a guiding voice, and a tireless advocate for the promise and potential of every child. There are moments in education when one person’s influence ripples outward in ways that cannot be measured; Nancy Magee was one of those rare individuals.
Her passion and dedication to education were truly unsurpassed. She believed, at her core, that schools are not just places of instruction, but places of belonging, growth, and possibility. She saw students not as data points, but as whole human beings—with stories, strengths, and futures worth investing in. She uplifted teachers, honored their craft, and understood that the work done in classrooms each day shapes not only individual lives, but the very fabric of our society.
During the uncertainty and fear of the COVID-19 pandemic, her leadership stood as a beacon of clarity and resolve. At a time when so much felt uncertain, she led our county’s schools and districts with steadfastness, courage, and action. Decisions were not easy, but they were made with care, with intention, and always with students and families at the center. She carried the weight of those years with grace, never losing sight of the human side of every policy, every plan, every step forward.
But perhaps what will be remembered most is not only what she did, but how she made people feel. She made educators feel seen. She made families feel heard. She made students feel valued. There was a warmth in her leadership, a humanity that reminded us all why we chose this work in the first place. In moments of challenge, she brought calm. In moments of doubt, she brought conviction. In all moments, she brought heart.
Her legacy will live on in the schools she strengthened, the educators she inspired, and the countless students whose lives are better because she chose to lead with purpose. As we grieve this profound loss, we also carry forward her vision—of schools where every child matters, every voice is heard, and every future is worth fighting for. May we honor her not only in remembrance, but in the way we continue the work she so deeply believed in.