Peter Vabulas, a senior who entered Tufts in the fall of 1999, died Wednesday after collapsing suddenly behind Miller Hall. Vabulas was to turn 23 on Jan. 8.
The exact cause of death has yet to be determined, but the autopsy is expected to find either a stroke or cardiac arrest.
"Whatever happened, happened quickly," Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said. "He probably didn't suffer."
According to Reitman, Vabulas spoke with his parents the night before his death, and "he sounded fine." Vabulas' parents told Reitman that Vabulus was in good health at the time.
Three students discovered Vabulas unconscious, and they were able to begin resuscitation procedures and call Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) and the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD).
The CPR administered by the students and the defibrillators used by TUPD worked to temporarily restart Vabulas' heart, but Vabulas died in the ambulance en route to Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Medford. "He didn't regain consciousness," Reitman said.
A gathering was held Wednesday night in the lounge of Wilson House, where Vabulas lived, to learn about Vabulas' death and share memories about his life. Most of the students who attended said they knew Vabulas mostly on a "hello basis."
Vabulas had been a part-time employee at Your Move Games in Somerville, Mass. A local resident who met and spent time with Vabulas at the store said Vabulas "was a really funny guy."
Matthew Downer (LA '03), Vabulas' freshman year roommate, said he was a private individual.
"He was shy and quiet," Downer said. "But he was very respectful and courteous. We got along well and I am very sad to learn of his death."
The University will consult with Vabulas' parents to plan a formal memorial service. "Usually we let the family take the lead," University Chaplain Reverend David O'Leary said. Regardless of whether the family wants to hold a service, some type of future gathering is expected. "He is not going to go forgotten by any means," O'Leary said.
All attendees expressed shock at his death. "This shouldn't happen to a 22-year-old," O'Leary said.
Director of Residential Life Yolanda King, Associate Dean of Students Marisel Perez, and Dr. Nandini Talwar, a psychiatrist with Health Services, also attended the gathering.
Vabulas, a political science major, took last year off from school to work at a publishing company in New York City. His father is from Lithuania and his mother is from South Korea. In addition to his parents, he is survived by two younger sisters, who are current students at Dartmouth College and the State University of New York at Binghamton.
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