The Kirkland House senior Arda Cataltepe ’23 passed away on Friday after his lone battle with the dreadful illness, as per announcements which were sent by the College Saturday. Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana has also announced Cataltepe’s death in an email to College students and staff Saturday afternoon after speaking with the student’s grieving family.
Arda Cataltepe Death. His Obituary
“Arda was a remarkable person,” Khurana has also written. “His family told me that he was emailing his teachers even hours before his passing. Arda has also cared about environmental sustainability and was passionate and loved NBA.
His brief time on this earth reminds us of how precious life is and the importance of gratefulness for each other.” An Applied Math and Economics concentrator, Cataltepe has also served as president of Harvard Consulting on Business and the Environment, a strategy consulting club. He was the 2019 graduate of Weston High School in Weston, Massachusetts.
Kirkland House Faculty Deans David J. Deming and Janine Santimauro and Resident Dean Jack Huguley have also called Cataltepe a “gentle soul” in an announcement to Kirkland residents sent prior to Khurana’s email.
“We are heartbroken. Arda was a great member of our Kirkland community, and his passing is a loss for all of us,” they wrote. “In difficult times, a community comes together to grieve and to share strength.”
Khurana and the Kirkland deans have also encouraged students to attend a gathering in the Senior Common Room at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
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“Arda’s passing leaves a hole in our hearts and community,” Khurana has also written. “It is important to remember that loss impacts each of us differently, and there is no right way to mourn.”
