Claire Hollemans Roscow of Lakewood, Colo., passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 28, 2010 in Denver, Colo. Beloved Claire was born to Kurt Roscow and Debra Hollemans on Aug. 29, 1988.
Claire was the younger of two daughters. She graduated from D‘Evelyn High School as the valedictorian of the Class of 2006 and was active in many math and science clubs and student organizations, serving as senior class president and participating in varsity sports, including diving, track and cross country. Claire enjoyed the benefits of being on sports and science and math teams that were top-ranked in the state, which included winning the top Small High School Math Team in Colorado her senior year. In sports, Claire earned the coaches’ award for most enthusiasm and team spirit.
Claire attended Stanford University, where tremendous opportunities opened up for her. Claire was a dedicated volunteer, securing a position as a freshman volunteer coordinator for the Class of 2010, leading efforts for campus-wide blood drives and proudly crossing over the gallon donation level herself. Claire secured a fellowship at the Robinson Lab of the Stanford School of Medicine her freshman summer and continued with that program through her sophomore year. The Robinson Lab is focused on autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis.
Claire participated in two foreign study experiences, first traveling to the Middle East for a seminar/exchange with Qatar University studying large engineering projects, then heading to Oxford University. Claire found the friendships and experience of the Middle East to be very powerful as this program was one of the first mixed-gender sets of classes for Qatar.
Claire also worked at two early-stage startup companies, Cooliris and Chegg, and was exposed to the venture capital world of Kleiner Perkins. Claire was elected as part of a slate for class president for the Class of 2010 and served a partial term in 2009 before resigning the position.
During her years at Stanford, Claire began to shift her initial interest from biomechanical engineering to the study of brain science and the biology of the brain. Claire was working on an exciting fellowship program for the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE), affiliated with the medical school. CCARE was a good fit for Claire, as it was a multidisciplinary approach to the study of compassion ranging from philosophy to neural biology. Claire headed up the student volunteer program that was integral to the successful hosting of the His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s recent visit to Stanford.
Claire enjoyed travel, running, yoga, time with friends and close time with her Aunt Carla and Uncle Stuart. She will be deeply missed in her hometown area in Colorado and throughout her extended college community. Claire used her many talents to help others reach out for their dreams.
Claire was preceded in death by her older sister LeAnne in 2004, and that passing left a deep and enduring impact on Claire. Claire is survived by her mother and father, Debra Hollemans and Kurt Roscow of Lakewood.
Memorial services will be held on Jan. 13 at 2 p.m. at Mile Hi Church (9079 W. Alameda Ave) in Lakewood, Colo. Gifts can be made to either the Mile Hi Church or online at giving.stanford.edu. For a gift to CCARE in Claire’s name, direct your gift to Stanford Medical Center, indicating your gift is to CCARE-Claire Roscow Memorial.
–Courtesy of Debra Hollemans and Kurt Roscow
Editor’s note: this article has been revised to reflect Roscow’s correct birthdate, Aug. 29, 1988.