Update: June 28, 2:30 p.m.
According to Zack Martin, a friend and fraternity brother of Berenbeim, Sam was “widely respected and loved by his peers and gave it his all in everything he did.”
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“He was literally so driven, and had such a rough past, I couldn’t wrap my head around it,” Martin wrote in an email to the Collegian. “A few years back he had lost his dad. I think there is something to say about someone who had been going for a degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering with minors in Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry. With all he had on his plate, it wasn’t easy. And yet he still found time to enlighten all of our lives.”
In a separate statement, Martin said: “Sam is an awesome kid and it’s a tragedy he passed. He’s an amazing kid who works his butt off in all subjects, he always took the time to tutor his fellow brothers and was the first to help someone out in need. He was extremely loyal and loved to snowboard and listen to music, specifically The Grateful Dead.”
According to San Miguel County Coroner Emil Sante, the final report regarding Berenbeim’s death will not be complete for approximately a month and a half.
Original Story
Samuel Berenbeim, a CSU student in the College of Engineering, passed away Friday June 21 in Telluride, Colo., where he was attending the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.
According to San Miguel County Coroner Emil Sante, there is no official information on the cause of his death at this point. Berenbeim died between approximately 2 and 5 a.m. at the Mary E. Campground on County Road 63L in Telluride, Sante said.
A spokesperson for the University offered the following statement on Berenbeim’s death:
“The CSU community extends condolences to Sam’s family and friends during this difficult time. Our thoughts are with them.”
According to San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters, friends who were with Berenbeim heard him making some noises early in the morning and checked on him, finding him passed out in front of his tent. A friend came back to check on Berenbeim and realized he was “blueish” Masters said. The friend contacted security and a paramedic staying at the campground attempted to give Berenbeim CPR, with no response. Berenbeim was unresponsive to further attempted treatment by paramedics and was pronounced dead on the scene.
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“The looks of it appears to be some kind of diabetic emergency,” Masters said.
Berenbeim was a a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon at CSU. The chapter posted a statement on their website:
“On Friday, June 21st we lost our beloved brother Samuel Jozef Berenbeim at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Telluride, CO. Sam was a CO Gamma Senior set to graduate in spring 2014 and was pursuing a degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering with minors in Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry. He was 22 years old. A public viewing will be held on Tuesday 6/25/2013 from 10:00am – 12:00pm at Feldman Mortuary (1673 York St Denver, CO 80206). His Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday the 26th at Temple Emanuel at 1:30pm (51 Grape St, Denver, CO 80220). Following the Service, a 3:00pm Ceremony will be held at Fairmount Cemetery. (430 S Quebec St, Denver, CO 80247). Everyone is welcome to attend this celebration of Sam’s life, and we all need support for his family and each other though this difficult time.”
Managing Editor Emily Smith can be reached at news@collegian.com.
