Rebekka Grubbs

Wash. Rebekka OGrady Sprouse Grubbs, 32, died at home Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014. The cause of her death was cholangiocarcinoma, a rare form of bile duct cancer. Born Sept. 24, 1981, in Richmond, Va., to Catherine and Louis A. Sprouse, Rebekka attended Atlee High School and the University of Virginia, where she obtained a B.S. and M.S. degrees and later a Ph.D in biochemistry. Rebekka was quite smart, though she wouldnt admit it. She was unusually successful over the course of her biomedical research career, publishing papers in prominent journals frequently throughout graduate school and postdoctoral work. Following work at Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology and Cornell University, Rebekka chose to move into teaching and had obtained a faculty position at Gonzaga University. Rebekka was also quite an athlete, but she wouldnt admit this either. She ran marathons, participated in triathlons and completed a half ironman. She biked thousands of miles and completed weeklong bike tours in Oregon, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island. While Rebekka was smart and athletic (and witty and beautiful), her strongest feature was being plain sweet. While reserved and a bit shy, Rebekka was really and truly extraordinarily nice. Although official statistics are difficult to come by, Rebekka is, almost certainly, the sweetest person that ever lived. She loved her husband, her family, her friends and her dogs, and she did so in a consistent, compassionate and quiet manner. They loved her back. Rebekka also loved French fries, cows, country music and books. It was extremely difficult to make Rebekka angry, and easy to make her laugh. She had a gigantic smile. If you met her, she probably liked you, and you probably liked her right back. Thats the way it is when youre extremely sweet, as Rebekka was. Rebekka was diagnosed with an advanced case of cholangiocarcinoma this past August and was faced with a prognosis of only months to live. Throughout chemo, surgical procedures and hospital admissions, Rebekka remained a joy to be around, cracking jokes and looking out for the well being of her friends and family. It is commonly stated in an obituary that the deceased faced the end bravely, with grace and poise, but Rebekka really did. She died without spite, fear, or self-pity, and faced the end with genuine grace. Rebekka is survived by her husband, Nathaniel Grubbs; mother, Catherine O'Grady Sprouse; brother, Brenainn Sprouse; sister, Mary (Chris)Dobroth; grandmother, Jane OGrady (Calvin)Tiller. Rebekka was predeceased by her father and grandfather, Edward L. OGrady; and her grandparents, Louis and Bernice Sprouse. A memorial will be held Saturday, March 1, at the Church of the Redeemer, Mechanicsville, Va., with visitation beginning at 9:30, church service beginning at 11:30 a.m. and luncheon immediately following. With the assistance of the UVA Health Foundation, the Rebekka Sprouse Grubbs Cholangiocarcinoma Fund has been established in Rebekka's memory, to support research into future treatments for this rare and understudied cancer. Contributions supporting this research are welcome. Checks can be made payable to: UVA Health Foundation, P.O. Box 800773, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0773 and with Rebekka Sprouse Grubbs Fund included in the "for" line. Gifts may be made online at: www.supportuvacancer.org with Rebekkas name included in the "Special Instructions" box. Thanks to all those who provided help and support throughout Rebekkas illness.