DU undergraduate Celeste Howard died suddenly on Oct. 6. in Jefferson County. Howard majored in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management and was a graduate of Chatfield High School and The Culinary Institute of America.Howard, 24, was the daughter of Tom and Marjorie Howard. – father is a professor of finance at DU. She is survived by her parents and her siblings, Andrew and Emily, as well as other family members and friends.Born in Denver on April 21, 1981, Howard loved traveling and spent time living in Denmark, Miami, New York and Las Vegas. She lived in Lakewood with her best friend from high school while studying at DU.HRTM Senior Lecturer Paul Laesecke had Howard in his class.”She was a student I could always count on to answer past ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Celeste had a very conceptual, logical mind. But more than just what she did was her personality. She was always pleasant. You could tell she was a leader of her peers. She was a fun person,” Laesecke said.Laesecke attended Howard’s funeral on Oct. 11 at the Mile-High Church on Alameda. “Her brother spoke on her behalf, and the church made a tribute to her. There was a large contingent of faculty and friends in attendance,” Laesecke said.Two student deaths at the beginning of the school year have impacted the DU community in various ways. On Sept. 25, Asa Clinch died in Nelson Hall from an apparent suicide.”The loss of a young person is especially difficult as we each realize how much life is lost. Friends and classmates mourn the loss of a friend, and others contemplate the fragility of life,” said Patti Helton, the associate provost for Campus Life. Helton encourages individuals or groups that wish to be assisted with the grieving process to contact the Campus Life office (at x16686).”DU has counselors and Student Life staff available to talk, visit and work with students,” said Helton.She continued, “It is important to celebrate life and the memories that we share.”The Howard family has not released the cause of death.Laesecke said Howard’s death was sudden and not due to an illness.”I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child,” he said.