Memorial Service Set for CSU Graduate Student

A memorial service for Colorado State University graduate student William John Szlemko will be held 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 29 in the Cherokee Park Ballroom in the Lory Student Center on the CSU campus. The service is open to the public.

Szlemko, 35, was struck and killed by lightning on July 24. The strike occurred in Sherwood Forest, an area of trees immediately to the south end of the Forestry Building on campus. Szlemko was a doctorate student in the university’s psychology department.

A memorial scholarship fund has also been created. Donations can be made to the CSU Foundation designated to the Will Szlemko Memorial Scholarship. The Foundation’s address is P.O. Box 1870, Fort Collins, CO 80522.

A second man, 33-year-old Marc Vernon Richard, was critically injured by the strike. Richard is a graduate assistant in the university’s psychology department. He is currently in intensive care at Poudre Valley Hospital.

Counseling services for colleagues and students are available through the University Counseling Center on campus. Staff is available to offer grief and trauma support. Students and employees may call (970) 491-6053 for an appointment. The center also offers walk-in service or can travel to people in need of services. The center is accessible through Hartshorn Health Services.

The university also offers an Employee Assistance Program to university employees and their families. The program can be reached at (970) 491-1527, and 24-hour assistance is available to employees at (800) 497-9133.

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