Growing up, Mary Ravita, her sisters and cousins spent summer days playing school at their grandmother's North Hills home.

There was never any question about who was the teacher.

"From the get-go, I guess, that's what she wanted," Dr. Ravita's sister, Phyllis Eberman, said yesterday.

Dr. Ravita, the South Fayette School District's assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment who helped Robert Morris University's education school win national accreditation a year ago, died Saturday in St. Clair Hospital after a six-year battle with cancer. She was 56.

Even after becoming so weak that she could barely get out of bed, the Whitehall resident continued to do schoolwork on her home computer and asked to be driven to her office to help colleagues wrap up the school year.

"She was the consummate educator," South Fayette Superintendent Linda Hippert said. "Her work was her life. ... Until May 28, she was here every day. She might have to go for a treatment, but she came back."

Dr. Ravita's professional interests included curriculum and instruction, data analysis and staff development.

"She mentored numerous, numerous prospective administrators," Dr. Hippert said.

Ms. Eberman, of Baldwin Borough, said her sister offered to pay for her nephews' college tuition. Dr. Ravita spoke little about her own accomplishments, however, and Ms. Eberman said her family only now is learning about the breadth of her career.

Dr. Ravita was born July 5, 1952, the eldest of three daughters of Robert and Jenny Ravita of Whitehall. She graduated from Baldwin High School in 1970 and took an unorthodox route to school administration.

She completed a cosmetology program at Pittsburgh Beauty Academy, worked for a time as a hairdresser and later taught cosmetology courses at Parkway West Career and Technology Center. She climbed the administrative ladder and was named director of the school in 1992.

Along the way, Dr. Ravita furthered her own education at the University of Pittsburgh. She received a bachelor's degree in education in 1979, a master's in vocational education in 1982 and a doctorate in vocational education and educational administration in 1986.

After 18 years at Parkway, Dr. Ravita worked as assistant superintendent of the Bentworth School District in Washington County for six years. She joined South Fayette School District in 2000.

Dr. Ravita remained "on the cutting edge" through her involvement with ASCD -- the international group formerly known as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development -- and its state chapter. She was a member of ASCD's board for three years and traveled to India, Singapore and Australia to study those countries' education systems.

Dr. Ravita worked as an adjunct faculty member at Robert Morris and Pitt and as an evening school administrator at the Community College of Allegheny County.

"She really was just a leader in the profession, and she kind of carried that through by teaching leadership courses for us at both the master's and doctoral levels," said John Graham, dean of Robert Morris' School of Education and Social Sciences.

Dr. Ravita served on the school's advisory council, Board of Visitors and a committee that worked to get the school accredited last year by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. Dr. Graham said he asked Dr. Ravita to speak at a dinner held to celebrate the accreditation.

In addition to her parents and Ms. Eberman, Dr. Ravita is survived by two nephews.

Visitation is from 1 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. today at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home, 301 Curry Hollow Road, Pleasant Hills. A memorial service will be held at the funeral home at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow.

Memorial donations may be made to the South Fayette Foundation for Excellence, 3640 Old Oakdale Road, McDonald, PA 15057, or to the Pennsylvania ASCD Scholarship Fund, c/o Jim Warnock, executive director, 8 Windsor Way, Annville, PA 17003.