(1974- Oct.8, 1999)

Stephen Vacendak Jr., a graduate student in the Department of Geography and Planning, died Oct. 8, 1999 after a biking accident in Boone. Family and friends have created a memorial to his life which friend Carter Ramsay described as “enthusiastic, positive and genuine.”

“Stephen touched so many lives that we all feel a responsibility to do something in his memory,” Ramsay said. “He had a zest for living and loved being with people and in the great outdoors.” The 25-year-old Vacendak was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed skiing, kayaking, biking and backpacking. He was known for his willingness to be the first over a whitewater rapid or waterfall.

Vacendak posted a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote in his cubicle in the geography department office that read: “It is not the length of life, but the depth of life.”

Friends and family created the fellowship with gifts to the Appalachian State University Foundation. A gift from Vacendak’s father, former Duke basketball player Steve Vacendak of Rock Hill, S.C., to the Appalachian State University foundation created a second fellowship. The foundation provides private support for student scholarships and academic programs that enhance the university’s learning environment. “We aim to increase the fellowship through this annual tournament,” Vacendak Sr. said. “That will enable us to encourage and support young scholars who have the same love of geography that Stephen did.”

Donations also can be mailed to Stephen’s Fund, P.O. Box 2792, Rock Hill, S.C. 29732.
For more information call (704) 489-1206.