Obituaries

VANESSA J. CABRERA, who worked as a chef after graduating from the Natural Gourmet Cooking School, died Feb. 22, 2012, at age 34. In addition to working as a chef, she pursued her many dreams: natural food and cooking, natural healing, and entrepreneurship. Survivors include her parents; her sister, Melissa Cabrera ’96; her brother; her nephew; her aunt; and several cousins.

Submitted by C. Anne Brockelman ’96 on behalf of Vanessa’s family:
After graduating from Wes (‘99), Vanessa went on to graduate from the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City.  From that point on, Vanessa worked as a vegetarian chef in a variety of ways: running her own cafe (for a short time), teaching cooking to young people, working as head chef at Rockin’ Raw in Williamsburg, traveling to India and working as a chef for the Purple Valley Yoga Retreat, and more.

Upon returning from her work in India, Vanessa discovered she had breast cancer.  She waged a gallant, private battle, demonstrating extreme courage and strength. Vanessa ultimately lost her battle as a variety of complications from her treatment became too much to overcome.

Her funeral service was held in her hometown of Montclair, NJ.  Among the attendees were her sister, Melissa Cabrera ‘96, and classmates: Nichole Morris ‘99, Janelle Bryan ‘99, Farrah Darbouze ‘99, and Rebecca Reeves (formally Elliot) ‘99.

Vanessa from a cooking demo she ran at the New York Botanical Garden just following her diagnosis in the summer of 2010.  She loved to cook!  It was her art.

ALEX T. HANDLER, 31, died July 5, 2007. He had majored in Earth and Environmental Sciences. Among those who survive are his parents, Dr. Mark and Leslie Handler, two brothers, his grandmother, and a cousin, Julie A. Burstein ’80. (For more information, contact Vielhauer-Clepper funeral home.)

JARRETT TAHIR SEALS, 27, died June 9, 2003. He had majored in art history. Among those who survive are his mother, his father, a brother, a sister, and several aunts and uncles.

ARAMIS GONZALO RIOS, 31, an assistant U.S. attorney in Puerto Rico, died June 25, 2007. He had been a government major at Wesleyan. Among those who survive is his child, Amaris, his parents, and his grandmother.

MARGARET (MEG) L. ZUPANCIC, 36, a post-doctoral fellow at the Institute for Genome Sciences at the University of Maryland Medical School, died Oct. 7, 2010, one day after giving birth to her second son. After receiving her degree from Wesleyan magna cum laude, she received a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and a doctoral degree in biochemistry from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her research centered on the interaction of the human microbiome with the genetic bases of obesity. She was also a talented clarinetist and an accomplished backcountry explorer. Survivors include her husband, Bill Vinje, her parents, two children, and her sister, Nellie Zupancic ’00. Her brother died in 1999.

With deep grief, I submit this obituary of my daughter Eve Erin Crowell ’96. She was proud of graduating from the school.

Thank you,
Barbara Crowell Roy

Eve Erin Crowell, 30, of 1232 North Flores, West Hollywood, California, died suddenly at her home on February 24, 2005. The daughter of Barbara (Lepley Crowell) Roy of Newport, Rhode Island and Sachseln Switzerland and Dr. Robert Crowell of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Eve was born on November 4, 1974,in Boston, Massachusetts.

Eve Crowell was educated at Williston Northampton School, in Easthampton, Mass., and was a 1996 graduate of Wesleyan University. In May of 2002, she received a JD degree from the Law School of UCLA.

In October 2002, Ms. Crowell joined the prominent law firm of Kirkland and Ellis in Los Angeles. There she rapidly gained a reputation for intelligence, hard work, and collegiality. Eve worked in the litigation division, and she distinguished herself by winning the firm’s national mock trial competitions in 2003 and 2004. She was a member of the State Bar of California and the American Bar Association.

Eve Crowell was an excellent athlete, and she participated in numerous triathlons and marathons in California.

She is survived by her parents and her brother, Wyatt E. Crowell of Dallas, Texas. Other survivors include her stepmother, Mary Woodson Crowell, her stepfather, Dr. Vance Roy, her stepbrother, John P. Dennis III of Houston, Texas, and her stepsister, Jennifer D. Farley of Saugerties, New York.

A memorial service was held on March 3, 2005 at the Forest Lawn Mortuary in Glendale California. Burial will be private. Donations in her honor may be sent to Eve’s Fund for Native American Health Initiatives in care of Mr. William Heckel, 210 Montezuma, Suite 100, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501-2681 (telephone 505 983-8699).

REBECCA A. SWENDER, 36, a doctoral candidate in the film studies program of the Department of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she also earned a master’s degree, died June 14, 2008. A published author, she was twice an invited scholar at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival in Italy and had received many academic awards and honors. Survivors include her parents, two sisters, her maternal grandmother, a large extended family, and her boyfriend, Alexander P. André.

ROXANNA ROSE MENNELLA, who had worked as an analyst at CIBC World Financial Center, died Jan. 19, 2005, of a brain tumor. She was 31. At Wesleyan, she was an avid equestrienne, played on the women’s Rugby team, performed theater, and wrote poetry. She was an Italian Studies major and had spent her junior year abroad in Italy. Among those who survive is her sister, Jennifer M. Cain.

ROBERT L. WILLIAMS, 38, a mediator at RESOLVE and The Meridian Institute in Oregon, whose long battle with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), a form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine, led him to become a spokesperson for the disease, died Oct. 26, 2009. He received his degree with honors from the College of Social Studies and later received an MS from Oregon State University. He was an active member and leader in the Association for Conflict Resolution, Environment and Public Policy Section. Despite his AS, he competed in triathlons and became a ranked amateur, ultimately qualifying three times for the national team and representing the U.S. in 2008 on Team USA, competing in the long course world championship in the Netherlands. In addition to raising funds for AS, he spoke at medical schools in order to make physicians more aware of the symptoms of the disease. His sister predeceased him. Among those who survive are his parents, five aunts and uncles, and numerous cousins, in addition to many supportive co-workers, teammates, and friends.

LEONARDO O. SMITH, a math and science tutor, and a dance performer, died June 5, 2006. He was 33. At Wesleyan he majored in physics. Among those who survive are his parents.