Evelyn Zaid

It is with great sadness to share that Evelyn Amy Zaid, age 36, died on August 30, 2012 in a tragic accident. Evelyn was born and raised in Ventura and was a 1994 graduate of Buena High School. She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Philosophy from Scripps College where she was one of only a few students selected to be a Humanities Institute Junior Fellow. Evelyn then went on to earn a J.D. from Boston University School of Law and completed coursework toward her Ph.D. in philosophy at the City University of New York Graduate Center. Intellectually curious and highly gifted, Evelyn continued her education into her professional life. While working in the patent law department at Google, Evelyn spent her evenings attending classes and lectures at Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley. Deeply insightful, inquisitive and curious about the world in which she lived, she committed herself to lifelong learning--studying everything from astrophysics to fine art. Inspired by her professors, Evelyn also developed a passion for teaching which she fulfilled by teaching chess to youths in San Francisco. She was a patient, charitable and enthusiastic teacher--not only to her chess students--but to everyone she encountered.

Outside of the classroom, Evelyn lived a rich and truly engaged life. She was an avid rower, cyclist, fitness enthusiast and surfer and could also play music by ear. Evelyn could listen to a song and replay it perfectly on piano, guitar, banjo or even ukulele. She constantly immersed herself in the arts by attending opera and symphony performances, reading great works of literature and taking painting classes. Her home was decorated in prints by Rothko and her other favorite painters and her extensive library contained the works of Shakespeare, Goethe and all of the classics.

Evelyn's accomplishments say little though about the kind of person she was. Genuine, caring and good natured to the core, Evelyn loved celebrating others' accomplishments more than her own. She was a quiet, kind-hearted genius who touched the lives of everyone she knew by challenging them to think about the world in a richer and more complex way. She also challenged those she knew to hold themselves to the highest standards of integrity--as she was always someone who did the right thing and treated others with kindness and respect.

Evelyn will be deeply, deeply missed by those that survive her including her father (Carl Zaid), mother (Barbara Cooper), grandmother (Miriam Zaid), siblings (Lisa Zaid and Shira Zaid) and uncle (Benjamin Zaid) as well as many other relatives and friends around the world.

In lieu of flowers, all are welcome to contribute to a scholarship fund that has been established in Evelyn's name at her beloved alma matter, Scripps College. Details are:

Evelyn Amy Zaid Scholarship Fund

Scripps College - Alumnae Office

1030 Columbia Avenue

Claremont, CA 91711

http://www.scrippscollege.edu/giving/

More information about Evelyn Amy Zaid can be found online at http://www.evelynzaid.wordpress.com

Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home.