Dr. Ada L. Vallecorsa, 77, of Lake Wylie, SC, formerly of Greensboro, NC, passed away peacefully on Friday, August 15, 2025, with her loved ones by her side. She was born on March 13, 1948, in Sewickley, PA, to parents Mary and Herman Vallecorsa.

After a childhood in Ambridge, PA filled with love, a family passion for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and countless escapades with her beloved older brother Ralph, Ada earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from California State College (now Pennsylvania Western University, California), specializing in both Speech and Language and Special Education. She worked as a middle school special education teacher and speech pathologist in the Pittsburgh public school system.

After earning her PhD in Special Education from the University of Pittsburgh in August 1979, Ada briefly worked in private sector research before joining the University of North Carolina at Greensboro on a tenure track in 1982. For 15 years, Ada was a well-respected and beloved professor in UNC Greensboro's School of Education, publishing numerous books and articles and serving as an editorial consultant for Exceptional Children and as president-elect of the North Carolina Council for Exceptional Children's Teacher Education Division. In 1997, Ada stepped away from the classroom and took a job as Associate Dean of the School of Education at UNC Greensboro, ultimately retiring in 2012.

In 2015, Ada and her spouse and life partner of 41 years, Rita Rice Ledford, moved to Lake Wylie, SC, where they loved living in their lakeside "castle" and hosting family members, loved ones, and friends. Ada was an active member of the Lake Wylie community and was loved by all her neighbors.

Ada was preceded in death by her father Herman in April 2011, her mother Mary in July 2011, and her brother Ralph in June 2017. Ada is survived by her spouse Rita of Lake Wylie, SC, sister-in-law Cathy of Phoenix, AZ, numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews, and many dear friends and loved ones.

Ada's lifetime impact on adolescents was immense, either directly as a teacher of Special Education or indirectly, through all the teachers she trained, inspired, and mentored. She believed in the potential of all young people and spent her career as an advocate for children who learned differently. She was the first PhD to serve on the board of trustees at Guilford Day School, co-founded by her spouse Rita, now known as Noble Academy, in Greensboro, NC, and spent countless hours, even in retirement, writing grant proposals and supporting causes dear to her heart, most especially the Quiltmaker Café in Pittsboro, NC.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Rita Rice Ledford and Ginger Parnell Alumni Scholarship for Noble Academy, established in 2018. For additional information about giving to Noble Academy, please contact their development team at 336-282-7044 or refer to https://www.nobleknights.org/endowments.

The family plans to hold a celebration of life in 2026.

M. L. Ford & Sons Funeral Home, Lake Wylie, SC, is serving the Vallecorsa family.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.