Posted on behalf of Nancy Reynolds
With a heavy heart, we share the news of the passing of our one-of-a-kind friend and colleague, Estela Santos-Pape, on July 2, 2022. Estela had courageously faced multiple myeloma for over four years.
Estela worked as the Administrative Assistant in the Office of Counseling and Wellness for 15 years until her retirement in 2017. She was a familiar, welcoming presence at the front desk of CAPS where she greeted students, colleagues and visitors with her bright smile and friendly, joyful countenance. She supervised our student employees, making it her mission to notice and celebrate even the smallest of their accomplishments. Estela treated everyone with kindness and respect.
Estela was an enthusiastic member of the inaugural flight of the Mind, Body, Me employee wellness program and was an active participant at the Wellness Clinic. Through the years, she cheerfully served on many SACL committees and participated in a variety of initiatives within our department and College-wide. Estela genuinely loved the IC community.
Born and raised in Brazil, Estela earned her undergraduate degree at Universidade Federal da Bahia in 1977. She then moved to the U.S. to study at the Teachers College of Columbia University where she completed a masters degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Prior to her career at IC, Estela taught Portuguese and ESL to a variety of groups including high school students, bank executives, and Peace Corps volunteers. She loved international travel, music, and languages, and was fluent in Brazilian Portuguese, English, Spanish, and German. Estela sang with the VOICES Multicultural Chorus in Ithaca.
Private services are planned by her family.
