In Memoriam: Rebekah Hoppel Salcedo
Rebekah Hoppel Salcedo
A celebration of life will be held Friday for Rebekah Hoppel Salcedo, executive director of the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, who died unexpectedly on Feb. 16 at the age of 36.
Colleagues will gather to remember Hoppel Salcedo at 10 a.m. Friday in Crowder Hall, at the Fred Fox School of Music. The event is open to the UA community. Those who cannot attend in person can watch a livestream of the event, which will be archived.
"She was such a beautiful, vibrant, intelligent leader at the UA and in the Tucson community," wrote Kasey Urquidez, vice president for enrollment management and student affairs advancement and dean of undergraduate admissions, in an announcement about Hoppel Salcedo's passing. "We will miss her more than words can describe."
Hoppel Salcedo began at the UA in 2008 as a financial aid counselor and later became the first scholarship services coordinator for Scholarship Universe, a UA-created service that connects students with scholarship opportunities.
Hoppel Salcedo served on the board of the Junior League of Tucson, a women's organization that promotes volunteerism and leadership. She also volunteered for the American Association of University Women and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
In December, Hoppel Salcedo was among the recipients of the Tucson 40 Under 40 awards.
Donald Merson, a senior systems analyst and developer in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment, paid tribute to Hoppel Salcedo in a LinkedIn post that listed the leadership lessons he learned from her, including: be humble and kind, have goals, and help people grow.
"The last 10 years of my life would have played out completely different without her," Merson wrote.
Hoppel Salcedo is survived by her husband, Edgar; her parents, Jennifer and Steven Hoppel; brothers David and Josh; her grandmother; a sister-in-law; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
In honor of Salcedo, colleagues made donations to purchase a paver in the Women's Plaza of Honor bearing Hoppel Salcedo's name. Donations also will be collected for a scholarship fund in her name.