Memorial Service Set for Second CSU Graduate Student

A memorial service for Colorado State University graduate student Marc Vernon Richard will be held 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2 in the Cherokee Park Ballroom in the Lory Student Center on the CSU campus. The service is open to the public.

Richard, 33, was struck by lightning on July 24. The strike occurred in an area of trees immediately to the south end of the Forestry Building on campus. Richard, a graduate student in the university’s psychology department, was resuscitated at the scene. He was listed in critical condition prior to his death July 30 at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins.

The same lighting strike claimed the life of 35-year-old William John Szlemko, a doctoral student in psychology at CSU. A memorial service for Szlemko was held July 29 on the CSU campus.

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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