Professor Lorena Blinn's office in North Kedzie Hall was routinely filled with students asking questions and looking through old tests.

Blinn died Nov. 26 after a six-month battle with brain cancer. She was 63.

Last spring, the Williamston resident finished her 38th year of teaching with about 400 students in her two sections of Integrative Studies in Biological Science 204.

But colleagues said she didn't know at the time that she was instructing the class with cancer that was quickly invading her brain.

When students returned to campus in August, they tried to get in contact with Blinn, but her office was dark and empty and her e-mails went unanswered.

Blinn, who had planned to travel to the Galapagos Islands in the summer, was diagnosed with brain cancer. She is survived by her two children and her husband, Walt Blinn, a retired MSU professor.

"It was a big shock," said Marsha Walsh, office manager at MSU's Center for Integrative Studies in General Science. "I'm still in shock. She was one of the few teachers who knew all her students' names."

Walsh, who worked with Blinn for 25 years, said the professor had a soft heart and refused to leave students behind. She said Blinn also helped students with learning disabilities get the help they needed.

"One of my fondest memories of her was one time when I walked past her office and I looked in to see her, but it was filled with students feeding baby raccoons," she said. "At the same time students were firing off questions about class at her."

Patricia Gage, a retired MSU zoology instructor and a close friend, said Blinn could be one of the best professors to ever walk into an MSU classroom.

"She was an asset to MSU," Gage said. "She was always working with students to make sure they understood the material. She was like a mentor to me. I came in 1968, and she was very generous in giving suggestions."

Gage said Blinn also would rescue orphan animals including raccoons and woodchucks and loved to travel all over the world.

"She was just curious about everything and loved to dive into things. It was one of her passions," she said.

Gage said Blinn also was interested in local history, collected antiques and had restored a second house in Georgia.

Blinn also worked with the athletics department to tutor athletes, she said.

"She had such a high opinion of student-athletes," she said. "She respected that they had to work extra hard to keep up with their studies while participating in sports. The basketball team, when they found out about her (disease), made a video with 'get well' messages."

Linda Johnson, an executive staff assistant in the College of Natural Science, said she worked with Blinn on the faculty advisory board, and she stood out as a teacher who cares.

"She was a very caring person who was very persistent," Johnson said. "She made sure things got done. She was a very special lady."

A memorial service will be held 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Alumni Chapel.