May 22, 2006--Alexander Capalluto
“Alexander was our daughter’s first playdate and will always be ‘Zander to our Gingery.’”
Though you may not have known Alexander Capelluto, and I knew him primarily as the son of friends, his death is both unfathomable and tragic. Snatched from life at just twenty, he was what every parent would wish for in a child and someone the world desperately needed to see grow to full maturity.
Let me quote from an obituary written by the Headmaster of the Horace Mann School, where Alexander was a student a scant few years ago—
Graduating as Valedictorian of his class, he was recognized in many ways for his distinguished work and valuable contributions to the daily life of the school—elected to the Cum Laude Society, he graduated with honors in Mathematics, History, English, and Science. He was the recipient of the Joseph Chase Award in Mathematics and was a National Merit Scholarship awardee. He received Jazz Band and Chamber Wind Band awards, and was awarded the Scholarship for Academic Excellence by the State of New York. He was a remarkable individual whose imprint was everywhere . . . class president, a Governing Council representative, Model UN member, president of the Jazz Ensemble, ad hoc reporter for The Record, a cross-country runner and an avid basketball player. He was elected by his classmates to deliver their valedictory in June 2004. His death is a tragic loss.
He was killed while on his bike, during a final tune-up before departing with Yale classmates on a four-thousand mile trek across the country to raise money for Habitat For Humanity.
As Rona and I are about to leave for his funeral service, I am reminded of something written nearly 200 years ago about another untimely death—
The splendours of the firmament of time
May be eclipsed, but are extinguished not;
Like stars to their appointed height they climb,
And death is a low mist which cannot blot
The brightness it may veil
Zander may be gone but his life and example will not be forgotten. In fact, it is and will remain an inspiration.
Though you may not have known Alexander Capelluto, and I knew him primarily as the son of friends, his death is both unfathomable and tragic. Snatched from life at just twenty, he was what every parent would wish for in a child and someone the world desperately needed to see grow to full maturity.
Let me quote from an obituary written by the Headmaster of the Horace Mann School, where Alexander was a student a scant few years ago—
Graduating as Valedictorian of his class, he was recognized in many ways for his distinguished work and valuable contributions to the daily life of the school—elected to the Cum Laude Society, he graduated with honors in Mathematics, History, English, and Science. He was the recipient of the Joseph Chase Award in Mathematics and was a National Merit Scholarship awardee. He received Jazz Band and Chamber Wind Band awards, and was awarded the Scholarship for Academic Excellence by the State of New York. He was a remarkable individual whose imprint was everywhere . . . class president, a Governing Council representative, Model UN member, president of the Jazz Ensemble, ad hoc reporter for The Record, a cross-country runner and an avid basketball player. He was elected by his classmates to deliver their valedictory in June 2004. His death is a tragic loss.
He was killed while on his bike, during a final tune-up before departing with Yale classmates on a four-thousand mile trek across the country to raise money for Habitat For Humanity.
As Rona and I are about to leave for his funeral service, I am reminded of something written nearly 200 years ago about another untimely death—
The splendours of the firmament of time
May be eclipsed, but are extinguished not;
Like stars to their appointed height they climb,
And death is a low mist which cannot blot
The brightness it may veil
Zander may be gone but his life and example will not be forgotten. In fact, it is and will remain an inspiration.
posted by Steven Zwerling at
10:52 AM
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