The family of a 19-year-old UC Berkeley freshman is mourning his death after he was found unresponsive in a college dorm, possibly due to a drug overdose.
Marco Troper, who was in his second semester at the university, died Tuesday, his grandmother Esther Wojcicki posted on social media. Troper, a math major, was the son of former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, who stepped down from her role last year after 25 years with Google, which owns the video streaming service.
“Tragedy hit my family yesterday,” Esther Wojcicki wrote online. “My beloved grandson Marco Troper, age 19 passed away yesterday. Our family is devastated beyond comprehension. Marco was the most kind, loving, smart, fun and beautiful human being.”
The grandmother told the Palo Alto Daily Post and SFGate that Troper’s death may have been as a result of a drug overdose. The family is waiting on a toxicology report that could take a month.
When reached via email Friday, UC Berkeley spokesperson Janet Gilmore confirmed the university had a “student death earlier this week.” Gilmore said a student residing at the Clark Kerr Campus was found unresponsive on Tuesday around 4:23 p.m. Berkeley firefighters attempted lifesaving measures but the student was pronounced dead. There were no signs of foul play and an investigation into the death is underway, Gilmore said.
Esther Wojcicki said Marco had a “strong community of friends” and was a part of the Zeta Psi fraternity. She also said he had been excelling academically at Berkeley.
“At home, he would tell us endless stories of his life and friends at Berkeley,” she posted on social media. “Marco’s life was cut too short. And we are all devastated, thinking about all the opportunities and life experiences that he will miss and we will miss together. Marco, we all love you and miss you more than you will ever know.”
Students interviewed near Clark Kerr on Saturday said they were shocked when they heard about Troper’s death, even if they hadn’t known him.
“It’s just really surprising,” said one student who said she visits Clark Kerr often but didn’t know Troper. She was granted anonymity in order to discuss the situation candidly. The student said she’d seen ambulances outside the complex. It’s “just crazy how that happened just across from us. … I feel really bad for his family.”
Troper’s Aunt Anne Wojcicki was the co-founder and CEO of DNA testing company 23andMe and was married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin from 2007 to 2015. His grandfather — Susan and Anne’s father — was renowned Stanford physicist Stanley Wojcicki, who died last year.
Esther Wojcicki, Troper’s grandmother, is a UC Berkeley alumna, journalist and educator. She founded the Palo Alto High School Media Arts Program and wrote the bestseller “How to Raise Successful People.”
She did not immediately respond to a further request for comment and no other members of the family were available.
Christian Leonard contributed to this report.
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