Within the past 96 hours, I have learned of the deaths of two current and two very recent University of Rochester students. Steven Harrison ’00 in the College and a current graduate student in the Warner School and Krystle Dixon ’06 in the College both died in unrelated automobile accidents this past weekend. Ali Shah Afzal ’07 in the College passed away at his home on July 21st and Aaron Brock ’03 Eastman, died August 3rd at his home.
Few tragedies are quite as saddening for a university community as the death of one student. The loss of four only compounds our terrible sense of grief. I know I speak for all in the University community in extending our heartfelt condolences to the family, classmates, and friends of Steven, Krystle, Ali, and Aaron.
The University has a tradition of marking such sad occasions with memorial services to honor and celebrate those lives lost. Notice of these services will be forthcoming as we formulate plans in the coming weeks. For now it is with an aching sense of grief that I report these terribly sad events.