Vincent Evan Pane

I wrote this last year for Vince's memorial at Stanford and am sharing it here. As we prepare to teach the Freshman seminar on Trees again, I am flooded with memories of Vince, who was such a force in the class we taught in Spring 2022.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2024
It will be hard to ever forget Vince and the many ways in which he left an indelible mark on us….and all of you here today are testament to that.
Vince blew into my life, in a most unexpected way. I had wanted to teach a class on trees at Stanford. I even knew what I wanted to call it “Partner with trees” but was hesitant because I could not find the right person to help teach it with me. I was talking to some students one day, and one of them said “ I think I know the right person!” And that very afternoon Vince appeared in my office, with his characteristic garb and rollerblades. I knew I had struck gold.
That started the incredible conversations about how to structure the class. Sasha, Sairus, Vince and I had so much fun planning the class. And Vince had just so many ideas and connections…..we were never at a loss for how to introduce the students to the joys of trees and nature on campus. Many students told me this class meant a lot to them, many were ardent climbers and in awe of the symmetry and forms in Nature. Vince was their inspiration in many ways.
I want to share just one story of the many I have …I was chatting with Vince one afternoon and I mentioned that there was this quaint sign by Lake Lagunita…almost hard to read and bent because the tree had almost grown around it. On an old oak tree. The sign said “ Vehicles and horses are not permitted on the dam”…so just as a joke I said to Vince “Wouldn’t it be funny if we could make those little projections into two wooden hands?” Vince just smiled his mischievous little smile. Lo and behold when I was taking a walk a few weeks later..there it was! He had carved a hand that was reaching out from the trees and holding the old sign….to me it is still what I will cherish about Vince: fearless, creative and always ready to explore the edges of life.
In the last year Vince and I talked a lot about how we could have a joint exhibition of his wood art, my photos. I saw how much he was trying to figure out a life for himself, to defy convention and do and create what he truly loved. …
But these conversations will now just be treasures in my memory..but along with his friends here we hope to build a small museum with a collection of his art and science exhibits.It will be a living tribute to Vince and I know he would approve…
So I will leave you with a short reading from Rilke…that gave me a bit of hope after I learned about Vince:
"Most people don't know at all how beautiful the world is and how much splendour is revealed in the smallest things, in some flower, a stone, the bark of a tree, or a birch leaf. Grown-up people, who have business and cares and worry about a lot of trifles, gradually lose their eye entirely for these riches which children, when they are alert, soon notice and love with all their hearts. And yet the finest thing would be if all people would always stay in this relationship like those children, with simple and reverent feelings, and if they would not lose the power to rejoice as deeply in a birch leaf or in the feather of a peacock or the pinion of a hooded crow as in a great mountain range or a splendid palace. There is a great and eternal beauty throughout the world, and it is scattered justly over the small things and the big; for in the important and essential there is no injustice on the whole earth."
~Rainer Maria Rilke

SEPTEMBER 15, 2025
As we prepare to teach again in 2025, I would like to dedicate this poem (again by Rilke) to the memory of Vince.
‘Qu’il est doux parfois d'être de ton avis,’
How sweet sometimes to share your opinion,
O my body, elder brother,
how sweet to be strong
with your strength,
to feel you, leaf, stem, bark,
and all you still may become,
you, so close to the spirit.
You, so frank, so whole,
in your manifest joy
at being this tree of gestures,
which, for an instant, slows
the pace of the heavens,
to set its life there.

Hi there, I've just seen the tribute video for Vince on Instagram and wanted to say how sorry I am to hear about his death. I first met Vince when I saw him sculpting in Escondido Village on campus in 2018. We struck up a conversation and I learned about his friendship with a prison inmate who was guiding his creative process for the sculpture via an exchange of letters... We often ran into each other after that first encounter and discovered we shared a love of dance and did some classes and workshops together. Vince was such a unique and special person and had such an incredible enthusiasm for life, so I'd like to send my love to all his friends and family on the anniversary of his death. This news is a reminder of how precious life is and how important it is to bring our best selves to every experience and encounter. That was my experience of Vince.

These posts are filled with deep appreciation for multifaceted connections people made with my nephew, Vince. Then there are others like my friends who never met him in person but felt they got to know him by the warm way he shared his interests and enthusiasm through his website, art, videos, dance, ninja competitions and adventures. Whenever Vince and I would chat about his plans or projects, he would take time to ask if I was happy and encourage me to be light hearted. This week I went to a nearby urban wilderness to walk and saw what seemed to be a raven with iridescent blue feathers on a bright spot on a trail twice! This experience felt quite unusual and immediately reminded me of recurring reports from others graced by birds (hawks, eagles, owls) during activities remembering Vince. His eclectic achievements, abundant kindness, gentle genius, incredible talents and energetic joy will continue to inspire me and so many others who join in celebrating his presence in our life journeys.

You’re all in my thoughts while frequently remembering Vince.

The blinding light of Vince's presence has exploded my life into color over the past year. Spilling into the lives of all my loved ones.

I have joined the circus. Mostly acrobatics so far but hoping to do more clown. This July, coca leaves, hypoxia, and Vince met me at the 20,000 ft summit of Guallatire Volcano.

A friend here in Chile guided me through a reiki session a couple months ago: During it I witnessed a clearing in a forest (sometime in the future) where—my human form recently deceased—I was the sapling of a birch tree. And all my loved ones who had passed away earlier were larger trees. The longer ago they passed away the bigger the tree. My grandparents, parents, and others were pines, maples, eucalyptus. Vince was one of the largest—a tremendous oak.

On August 24 last year, a co-organizer of mine invited me to participate in a ceremony in her pueblo. This year I had the honor of returning to participate. This Friday, the day before the ceremony, I went climbing around and up the desert valley walls. Reaching the cliff's edge above I shouted down—"VINCE I see your tree! It has grown so big!! Great for climbing!!"

Endless love to the Pane family, and everyone here. We were put on this Earth to feel it all. How blessed we are to feel it together.

Viva el circo! Viva Vince!

Until a couple weeks ago, the last significant mountain I had climbed was the east face of Mount Whitney with Vince in 2023. A series of challenging knee injuries that started later that same year kept me out of the mountains. But a couple weeks ago, on a spontaneous whim, I did two remote peaks in the Eastern Sierra. I found myself thinking a lot about Vince on the climb, and reflected that he will always be there with me on future climbs; and anything involving laughter, adventure, and curiosity. It felt right to write his name in the summit log.

A couple photos of that climb and the Whitney one:

Hi everyone, my name is Amber and I had the pleasure and honor of dancing with Vince - he always inspired me with his willingness to fully participate in even craziest ideas with curiosity and joy, and the way he was fully present in every moment and always pushed the boundaries of what was possible. Vince and I were working on a dance film project together last year, and I would love to continue it along with other folks in this community so we can dance with Vince in spirit and create art together with him even now.

I've always loved the beautiful video Jamie Lyons took of Vince playing with a street light globe, which was shown as part of his Stanford memorial service last year. I think it is such a perfect encapsulation of Vince's talent and a visual metaphor for the way he lit a spark of creativity, joy, and fearlessness in so many of us that will live on beyond him.

I've put together a short tribute video to show an idea I have of how we can dance together with Vince: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GDuXM9Us01qF98MmdZRyhWkBZvQDBz2k/view?usp=sharing

It will be so much better if more folks will join me so we can dance together with him as a community! I'd love to gather a group of folks, the more the better, to show how Vince’s one incredible life inspired so many of us. This is open to anyone who likes to move and is willing to be filmed swinging a light globe on Stanford University campus in the semi-dark with a group of other folks inspired by Vince. Dancers are welcome, but you don't need to consider yourself a dancer to join - athletes, roller skaters, tree climbers, all are welcome.

The video shows my idea of how we'll combine Vince's original video by Jamie Lyons with our own videos with light globes filmed at Stanford. The plan is to take video of each of us picking up a light globe individually from where Vince placed it. Then as a group, we'll film us all dancing/moving together with our light globes in the Stanford quad so we can all 'dance with Vince' by overlaying our group video with his solo video.

Please share your information in the Google form below if you're even potentially interested, or feel free to text or email me to learn more!


https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSenh3VbnPmVP6DMIDhDATICEZ6zdJ9v32_XAvV-qIYnlK0UFA/viewform?usp=dialog

With unending gratitude for the spark Vince lit in me,
Amber

This weekend, I hiked my first fourteener in memory of Vince. The night before, rain made us a bit unmotivated to get up at 4am to climb 5000 feet, but we decided to make the trek. Along the way, a hiker we passed shared the quote: “What we’re not changing, we’re choosing.” It was the perfect reminder for that day- even inaction is a choice, and Vince always chose to live fully. This climb was a small way to honor the way he lived: fully and with heart, and choosing to do the hard things.

I watched Vicent grow from a small boy who loved to dig holes in the sand to the amazing man he became. Vincent was one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. You are a shining star.

I had the honor of meeting Vincent when we both attended a fruitarian retreat in Bali in January 2024. We were a small group and thus we all spent the entire week together all day, every day. Vincent has a beautiful heart and spirit. I feel blessed that I got to meet him and spend quality time with him. We planned to stay in touch. I thought we would see each other again. The world lost a bright light and beautiful soul. May you rest in peace sweet Vincent and may your light shine down upon all of us and give us peace.

I knew of Vincent through his mother, Liz. I came to find out that she was very modest about him. I'd heard about some of his exploits, but it wasn't until reading his Stanford Obituary that I came to fully understand what an amazing human the world lost on that horrible day. I can only hope that there was a good reason god decided to take him so young, Perhaps to be born again and to rise to a position to help save mankind (because we're going to need it). I'm so sorry for all of you that no longer have his physical presence. It must be a huge loss to you.

I worked with Vince on American Ninja Warrior, I was one of his casting producers. I was going through my phone contacts, deleting old numbers from college when I came across Vince's contact. I no longer work on the show, so I decided to give his name a google and found this page. Just wanted to share how kind and unique of an individual I think he is. It was always a pleasure working with him. He will forever stay in my phone! Sending my thoughts and love to his friends and family.

Vince and some of his high school friends spent the night, after a concert, in my studio apartment. We had a grand time discussing all sorts of things into the early morning. Needless to say, Vince was the star. The most extraordinary young person I’ve ever known.

It's wonderful to see how many lives Vince has affected, and not surprising in the least. He truly had an incredible zest for life that was infectious to everyone around him.

I remember going on a hike with him and some friends during grad school and while the rest of us were deciding which trail to take next, Vince was deciding which tree to climb. We turn around and he's already 50 feet high in a 100+ foot tall redwood tree...and you'd better believe he climbed all the way to the top!

His incredible athleticism was, of course, not his only talent, as I was often reminded when I would see him working on his wood sculptures at all hours of the day and night outside our apartment building. His multitude of passions often intersected; for instance, he would find good pieces of wood to carve while out on his adventures.

Vince, I feel incredibly lucky to have known you.

I met him at CCRMA for the first...such an incredible soul and talent. We talked several times after that...He embodied passion, energy, and drive in a way that words can hardly capture. It breaks my heart that the world has lost someone so extraordinary.

It's been over a decade since I have had more than a quick message or two with Vince but he was always one of the kindest, smartest, and most talented people I knew in high
school and beyond. one of the nicest people I had the pleasure to know in school. My heart goes out to his family and the friends we shared.

Vince was in my dance class at Stanford. He loved flipping over railings and doing handstands. He was a genuine joy and light. When I found out he was on America Ninja Warrior, he entertained all my questions about it. He is the definition of "bouncing with joy" and will be missed.

This is Vince's sister, Lydia. As we grow close to both Vince's birthday (August 25th) and the one-year mark of his passing (August 28th), I want to open up this memorial page to tributes to Vince. Please post words, thoughts, songs, stories, pictures, or any medium of things you do for Vince or that make you think of him, even if you did not know him personally. We would love for this to be a living page that shows how much Vince is to this world and the people in it.

For me there is too much to say about Vince. Too much to explain what he is to me and what he means to me. There is not a day of my life that I haven't thought about Vince and that will stay true forever. He is my north star, who I follow when nothing else makes sense. Never can die what is life itself. inVINCEable

Last year, in 2024, a group of friends and I decided to climb Mt. Shasta. I invited Vince and he was very stuck on whether or not to go because he had already climbed that mountain and he was very focused on his latest carving (project). He decided he only wanted to climb it again if we skineered it (this is a term he coined which refers to a combination of mountaineering and skiing). At the time I was recovering from an injury, and I felt like skiing would be too much. We agreed that we would skineer Shasta the next spring and pinky promised. So this year, my friends and I skineered Mt Shasta wearing inVINCEable shirts and eating freash mango (Vince often eats fresh mango on mountains) at the summit for Vince. I personally think he joined us a few different times in form of a hawk overhead. The inVINCEable shirts are shirts I made Vince for his American Ninja Warrior run and now my friends and I wear in tribute to him on mountain adventures. A stranger on Mt. Shasta said it best after he asked someone in our group about our shirts, and as he passed me to the summit he said "This one is for Vince"

Vince was a TA for my organic chemistry class when he first came to Stanford. He was the kindest, most gentle natured person. He had a smile on his face whenever I saw him. I didn’t even know about his other talents but noticed his outfits that he made and would compliment him on them. I just went onto instagram and noticed he was following me (I only have a few followers!) and the option to “follow “ him back was still there. When I clicked on it and went to his page I was just in awe of his athleticism and zeal for life. He was a true renaissance man and I am so grateful I got the chance to know him even for a short while.

He left footprints to follow. Brilliant, curious, creative..Inspiration. You spirit will live on forever.

I met Vincent while training for American Ninja Warrior. I would see him a few times at David's backyard gym as well as at Traverse. I didn't know him very well. To me, he was the smart chemist from Stanford, a talented athlete, and I was aware of a creative side but never really got to know it. As I read about Vincent and his life, I can't help be feel in awe of all he's accomplished in his short life. RIP.

I didn’t personally know Vince, but I feel like I should. Watching him on American Ninja Warrior was how I met him. He had an infectious smile and his athleticism was amazing. He was an amazing veteran of ANW. I along with many, many others will miss him terribly. May God give you the peace, comfort and healing to you and your family and friends. God bless you Vincent climb high in heaven!!
❤️😇🙏😭😭😭

This is Vince's mom, thank you so much for all the beautiful posts and the recent ones. It feels so good to know Vince is loved and remembered. Please continue to post & add some of your adventures too. LOVE

Vincent Evan Payne
Gone too soon
And so heartbreaking news, l watch American Ninja Warriors all the time
And l root for every single one of them.
It's so HEARTBREAKING
to hear a Ninja Warrior Alumni had passed on....
He was a great person and a fantastic competitor.
I don't know about everyone else, But l will truly miss him.
GOD BLESS &Rest in
PARADISE.
LOVE ALWAYS, KAREN HAMMOND

I did not know Vincent , but I was watching ANW tonight & saw the dedication to him so I googled his name , he was an amazing athlete but more importantly an amazing person , he lived life to the fullest, I’m glad the family was brought closure & he was recovered, may he RIP & climb high in heaven , prayers to all who loved him , the list is long

I am so sorry to hear of your passing - gone too soon. Rest in Peace Vincent.

This is a lament for Vince that I wrote after we all hung out together at the Pane's house following the devastating news of our beautiful Vince's passing. I sang this song at the celebration of Vince's life in Longmont...I love you so much Vince. You are like one of my children. I will miss you forever.

We took a vacation on labor day weekend
to visit old friends, and cry in their arms
It would have been perfect, if you had been here
'cause the rest of the boys were there.

We took a vacation on Labor Day weekend
to bury our brother, to bury our child
Your beautiful soul left your beautiful body
now the universe holds all your light.

Now our days are so dark without you,
'cause you are the brightest star
You were larger than life, and your light shined so bright
Oh God, I wish you were here.

We gathered our circle together once more,
but you should have been here too
We took a vacation on Labor day weekend
to say goodbye to you.

I met Vince when I first moved down the street in Longmont for middle school. I befriended Lydia, his little sister, and always saw her walk home from the bus with a guy who looked exactly like the dude version of her, who I could only assume was one of her big brothers.

The more I hung out with Lyd and became a part time occupant of the Pane home, the more I got to know Vince. He was the weird older brother but in a cool way — always down to help us with our math and science homework, making his own clothes (shoe socks, anyone?), and carving something. He would lightly roast us for our choice in movies, but watch them with us and engage in real conversations about life anyway. I remember walking down the street and turning my head to see Vince going full speed down the Longs Peak hill on rollerblades and thinking he was pretty rad.

As we got older, Vince never tried to push Lyd away as older brothers sometimes do when they’re in high school. In fact, Vince and his best friend Ian were omnipresent at our friend gatherings from high school on. We would run around the golf course together, pretend we were in middle school to get into the pool for a buck less (which was wild because Vince had a full mustache from a young age), climb onto roofs, practice gymnastics. As we got older, we would go to bonfires, run around Estes Park when we were at the cabin, help us surprise our friends on their birthdays with “special guest appearances.”

The last big trip I took with Vince was over the pandemic while I was living in Colorado. Vince, Lyd, my sister Livi and I had a socially distant siblings backpacking trip. Livi had never been backpacking before, but we had spent the pandemic hiking and decided she would be ready to roll on whatever route we picked. Without thinking, I agreed to let Lyd and Vince pick the route and pack the food — they told us we just needed to show up.

And show up we did — to Mount of the Holy Cross — a “very strenuous” 14er with the most elevation gain I’ve ever climbed. I remember Livi and I crawling to the summit, taking hours longer than expected, but looked ahead and somehow saw Lyd and Vince sprinting to the top and even sharing their water with a stranger who ran out. After hiking for over 10 hours, we finally made it back to camp and I asked what was for dinner. Vince pulled out two cans of chickpeas and a bag of minced garlic and spices, and said “here it is!” Famished, I asked where the rest of it was, and he just cracked up because that was, of course, all he had brought for four people to eat.

That night, Lyd, Livi, and I hung our hammocks in an Aspen grove. We had forgotten our fourth hammock, but instead of sleeping in our backup tent, Vince opted to sleep on the ground next to Livi because she was scared for her first night of sleeping under the stars. He did the same thing the next night on a rock next to Lyd and Livi’s hammocks too, wanting to make sure he was close enough to protect all of us from whatever lurked in the wilderness.

Vince, you are so deeply loved by everyone who knew you. May we all carry your memory and do something cool and a little bit weird for as long as we live.

RIP

I was Vince’s AP Biology teacher in high school. I have vivid memories of him and his buddies hanging out by their lockers outside my classroom, skateboards in hand, cracking jokes and adding leftover drinks to their homemade mysterious “Beetlejuice”. Vince had such a brilliant scientific mind and yet was incredibly talented as an artist. Vince complained about the homework I assigned each night as busywork, but he would dutifully complete it on time and then would set the curve on every exam. He kept insisting that college professors didn’t assign homework. The following year when he visited my AP classes to share about his college experiences, Vince sheepishly admitted that college professors DID assign homework. A couple years later, Vince returned to Longmont High again to give a lesson on astrobiology to my AP Bio students. It was insightful and interesting and I remember being so impressed with Vince’s maturity and growth during his time in college. While that was the last time I talked to Vince, my husband and I enjoyed watching him compete on ANW. We were rooting and cheering him on from his hometown!

Today was the day I heard about Vince’s passing. His art teacher told me about his death. To the Pane family — I offer my condolences and sympathy for your tremendous loss. The world will be less colorful and exciting without Vince’s presence. I wanted to share a photo that I took today just minutes before I heard about Vince’s passing. Outside of the art room is a display case featuring student artwork. Vince’s handcarved wooden sculpture of our mascot, Tommy Trojan, stands proudly in honor of a remarkable young man who loved life to the fullest.

Rest in peace, Vince.

My heart goes with Vincent and the family… Vincent is a truly helpful and warm hearted friend. I still remember the time we spent together when doing TA at Stanford. RIP, fancy and cool Vincent. 🙏

My first encounter with Vince was by name only, when the American Ninja Warrior producers assigned us to each other's sidelines during the 2021 qualifiers. The night before the competition, I was walking through the hotel lobby when he came over and asked "Are you Victor?" even though we had never met before. He had recognized my Berkeley shirt, and we had a good laugh over the producers pairing us up because we were both Bay Area grad students. His outgoing and friendly personality was so distinctive and immediately apparent through both his words and actions.

During the competition, I was nervous to the point of almost throwing up before my run, but Vince stepped in and began chatting with me to ease my mind. We discussed our respective academic lives, from research to school courses to finding ninja obstacles on campus. Every time I chatted with him after that, I discovered another of his passions. On the bus ride back to the hotel, he explained the romper he had sewn to represent Prison Renaissance. On our ride to the airport, he talked about his childhood and move to California. At his watch party, I was amazed by his art and dance videos, as well as the robe he created from his ANW towel. Vince never ran out of fascinating topics to discuss, and he was always a great friend to talk to: open, supportive, and an attentive listener. He left a positive and lasting impact on everyone around him, and his prolific and diverse accomplishments show us what it truly means to be a Renaissance Man.

I'm grateful to have connected with Vince through Ninja. I only wish I had more time, more pictures, more memories, but now he's free to light up the lives of those in his next life. Vince will always be the freest of spirits.

Vince had this ability to make you feel accepted the moment you met. I met him through Prison Renaissance in 2019, the fall of my freshman year. Going into the first meeting, I didn’t know what to expect of ~upperclassmen~ and was undoubtedly a bit intimidated. Yet here was this PhD student, so inviting and warm. And what always struck me is how over the next five years, he continued to text me invites to his events— it always touched me, made me feel included and thought of.
...like his thesis defense!!! What thesis feels like a party— a pink suit, people dressed up as wizards and the like, bingo cards, nitrogen icecream? He made life fun, and I felt lucky to be in his orbit.

Last spring, I saw him at our friend’s film screening (see photo). He asked me if I could help film his fast-approaching quest with some friends. When I learned it was to climb Hoover Tower and leave gigantic footprints walking down the side, I immediately felt so excited to be in on something so classified and playful. Vince, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being yourself. I remember something you told me about how important it is for you to feel connected to everything— the reason you made your own clothes. I remember you saying you were working on making your own shoes too. You are a constant reminder to me to seek connection— to nature, people, fun to be found and to be made.

Echoing everyone, the world has lost so much. But I am also confident his energy will continue to flow through all who knew him. <3

I met Vince through Stanford's Arts Intensive program. Though I didn't speak with him extensively, I remember him as friendly, passionate, and eager to share his love for art (woodworking, pole dancing, and circus performing). It was always fun following his American Ninja Warrior journey through Instagram and nice seeing him around at the gym.

Sending my condolences and prayers to Vince's family and loved ones. He spread positivity to many during his time at Stanford. His impact lives on!

You were an incredible guy to watch and I send love to your family R.I.P

Vince, I first met you and spent only 3 days in your company in August 2023, when we traveled with Brook Thompson to the Yurok Salmon Festival. I thoroughly enjoyed being in the presence of your gentle nature, creativity and pure sense of wonder for the luminous world. I will always remember how, during the in-between moments of the trip, you were hand sanding your exquisite, small wood carvings and patiently explained to me how they served your systematic investigation of topology. This was Curiosity + Beauty = Awe.

I wrote you a haiku to help me accept what happened and to send you energy in the couloir (literally means “passage: in French) for your continuation in the universe (see Thich Nhat Hahn’s book No Death, No Fear). Here it is:

Embraced by rock kin
couloir made sacred by your
continuation
~ ark ~

Vince was the kind of friend and adventure partner you spend your whole life dreaming of meeting.

We met at the movement climbing gym in Sunnyvale. He had been my chem TA freshman year, but we had never spoken until then. Our exchange at the gym was brief, but two weeks later he was joining me for an ambitious 7-peak technical climbing traverse in the palisades of the Sierra Nevada. I had optimistically planned the traverse would take us 14hours…well, 21 hours later we stumbled back into base camp with failing headlamps; it was 2am, we were hungry, dehydrated, and exhausted, but had forged a deep bond of trust and respect for each other.
Vince and I had a lot in common: we both lived out of our minivans, both did woodworking and sculpture, both committed athletes (me running and him ANW), both had a wide range of hobbies (I always learned something new whenever I was with him!), but most importantly we both had a silly sense of humor and a vibrant love for life and adventure. That’s what had gotten us through all of the unexpected challenges that day, and that’s what made all our future adventures so fun and memorable. No matter what we faced, Vince would never complain about the situation. He would always make a joke and we would laugh about the absurdity of our predicament and find a way. As I am writing this I realize I could probably write a short book about all our adventures. Long climbing and mountaineering trips, ocean kayak fishing, gathering wood to for future carvings at midnight, exploring caves or the coastline at low tide…Vince was always down. I once called him while he was in class to see if he wanted to go explore a cave in Santa Cruz and 15 minutes later he was there.

I always admired Vince tremendously for his spontaneity and enthusiasm. He was always trying new things and pursuing his interests passionately. He was the definition of authenticity. This memory board is a testament to the fact that he inspired and brightened the lives of everyone he interacted with. There will always be a hole in my heart now, but I am so grateful to have shared so many wonderful moments with him.
Much love to everyone,
Meika

I didn't know Vince super well. We are teammates on the climbing team, but we never said much more than "hi" hot each other until the 2023 team climbing trip to Las Vegas. Vince instantly made this one of my most memorable trips. He was the first person to belay me outdoors. And he helped me work through my fear of rope climbing. He and the guys even let me crash in their hotel room last minute! Thanks for the memories and the support Vince! Wish I could have gotten to know you sooner!

For a very long time, vince was one of those people who I keep briefly running into, where neither of us can remember the other's name, but who appears in my thoughts for a disproportionately large amount of time. I first met him when I was going to climb a particularly attractive tree, only to find it was occupied by someone else. The second time I saw his face was when I thought I did a cool parkour trick on the marble balls on campus, only for someone to show me a video of Vince doing it a year earlier. Then, we bumped into each other (not literally) many times while we were both on roller skates. I had quads and Vince had inlines. I looked at his skates with mixed feelings. Of course, I wanted to tell myself mine were better and weighted those properties where quads win the highest, but subconsciously I was a little jealous of the inlines' speed and ability to do tricks. Without consciously conceding this to myself, I was really wishing Vince would similarly be jealous of how lightweight my skates were. At one point my team played his in intramural volleyball. After my team lost, I had my first proper conversation with Vince. I remember both our teammates giggling behind us as we rolled down the road in our skates. We talked about the dances we like to dance, and afterwards, the kind of things we like to make—for me, mostly clothes, for vince, mostly woodworking. It felt like two little kids showing off whose toy truck is cooler. I had to admit that his was cooler, and as self-centered as I am, I concluded from this conversation that I better not stop making things for the rest of my life if I want to keep up with Vince. A few months later, Vince invited me to go roller skating with him and some friends around an outdoor party on campus. It was like the cool kids asking if you wanted to hang out with them, a feeling only amplified by the fact that his friends skates had light up wheels. On another occasion, I was leading a basketweaving workshop outside. Vince was skating by and of course had to stop to participate, the way he is. An hour after everyone else was done and left, Vince and I were still chatting about life, as he was working on making a basket-ball (a photo of the result is added below). Vince was telling me about how he got his PhD in chemistry (?), but now works mostly with the Mechanical Engineering department, nothing to do with the PhD topic. I was at the time applying for a PhD, with some doubts of whether I would find a profession I liked afterwards, or if I would be able to do fun things throughout. Vince gave some incredibly reassuring advice. Really it is Vince that made me happy with myself doing a PhD now. I can't thank him enough for that. Right before summer, as I was leaving for my PhD, Vince showed me his van. I was very impressed with the mess inside, and the size of a tree stump in the trunk. I told Vince I'm leaving campus for good, so good bye, but I'm not too worried since I know our paths will cross again, the way he is.

From the very beginning, I looked at Vince as a role model—there were many things I wanted to be and Vince is a real life example of a large part of those. I will forever continue to look at Vince as a role model. If not anything else, Vince will remind me to not let time simply pass by as I sit on a bench, to infuse the world with my personality at every instant like he did.

I first met Vince at the Stanford d.school when we were both sharing our PRL creations at the end of spring quarter in 2019. I was amazed at his beautiful craftsmanship and humble kindness. We reconnected over a year later in August 2020 and met up for campus walks, rollerblading, picnics (ie eating whole mangoes, haha). At a time when I was feeling anxious and disoriented, Vince was a guiding light and a true friend. Time with him gave me more energy than I’d had in a long time. He helped me rediscover the things I loved—dancing, skating, being in nature, or just being on the rooftop of a parking lot in Mountain View because it was the best vantage point where we could scramble to catch an imminent sunset. I remember doing cartwheels on the grass of the Stanford golf course, skidding around the sandy Great Highway on Ocean Beach in our skates, talking for hours about who knows what while wandering Haight Ashbury. I got stressed once when he suddenly climbed a really tall tree and I didn’t know how he’d get down (little did I know). Vince responded to my dismay at having un-ripped, un-stylish jeans by offering to hold my hands and drag me across a parking lot to create authentic holes. He was totally serious. Our time together was impromptu, unglamorous, and utterly soul-satisfying. He wasn’t afraid to make bold observations and ask the difficult questions. He made me feel appreciated in ways no one else did. I wish we had more time together, and I hope he knew I loved him. My heart goes out to Vince’s family, friends, and all those who were lucky to know and love him. Vince challenged me to reimagine my life in brighter colors. I will strive always to do so in his memory.

Vince is the coolest guy I have ever met. THE COOLEST. That is the best way I can describe him because he was so talented and passionate about so many cool things, and I looked up to him for that. He was and will always be really special.

We met in Autumn 2021 when I enrolled in a dance class to join Stanford's Chocolate Heads performance team. One of my first memories of him was walking into class one day and seeing him doing pull-ups -- not on a typical pull-up bar but literally at the edge of a balcony meant for upper level seating in our "ballroom" of a dance studio. I had no idea how he got up there. I had joked that he was an American Ninja Warrior for pulling off a stunt like that and to my surprise he actually competed (and would continue to!). I grew up watching that show with my dad and got so excited to tell him: "Guess what?? I met an American Ninja Warrior!!" Vince continued to be delightful as someone who would always contribute something special to our dance practices. Sometimes he would show up to practice in the coolest outfit, and then reveal he also made his own clothes. WOW! As someone who's always wanted to make my own clothes but never had the courage to, I really admired him for that. In our Chocolate Heads final performance he blew everyone away by making his own 'Moon' prop to dance with and his choreography was really beautiful. His creativity was "out of this world."
(Here are some videos of him dancing with said 'Moon' prop:
1. Our media person was making "teasers" for our performance and Vince got a spotlight!: https://vimeo.com/513605742?autoplay=1&muted=1&contextual=viewer_home&stream_id=Y2xpcHN8ODgxOTk5MHxpZDpkZXNjfFtd
2. Our final performance -- the last take before the live audience, see Vince's solo starting at around 12:55 with our peer Danny singing as the music accompaniment: https://vimeo.com/832962997/d1b89ade87?share=copy)

After two quarters of dance together and our season ended, I thought I wouldn't see him again. And yet I did in the most 'Vince' ways. One time it was at an art showcase with his amazing wood sculptures on display. I had always loved wood sculpture, and his art was my favorite to look at. The complexity of his work with all the details he would achieve plus his creativity in creating something so moving and personal was really impressive to me. Even better, he was wearing a suit he made himself. I remember thinking he was like Willy Wonka but better.

Another time was a complete surprise. My friend told me she was learning how to pole dance and invited to teach me some tricks. When I show up, he's setting up the pole. Time and time again, I would meet Vince through another surprising talent of his. It was a fun night, playing around to sexy music and hyping each other up but also sometimes laughing off a failed trick and looking stupid.

I think Vince's passing really surprised me because I felt like I had just talked to him two weeks ago (it was closer to a month or two). Naturally it was when he was doing what he loved, sculpting some wood outside EVGR A. I was moving to my summer housing on campus and as I recognized him, I stopped by to say hi. We talked for maybe half an hour or so just catching up. Afterwards, I would keep seeing him in 'his spot.' I had gotten accustomed to seeing him there, around the same time around sunset (sometimes even with a flashlight after dark!! he was so dedicated!!), working on his wood sculptures, and just thinking to myself: he must be so happy to be doing what he loves especially with it being such a beautiful and peaceful Summer on campus. That spot was close to where I lived so I saw him there often. To pass by HIS spot now and know that he will never be there again breaks my heart.

Vince is the coolest guy I have ever met and there is no one like him. He had such a cool array of different hobbies and I know he had so many more that I didn't get to see. He was kind, funny, charming, and smart. colorful. creative. I will always remember him as such.

Vince was an infectious force of life, and I'm so grateful I got to know him during my time at Stanford. He is one of those people who imprints onto you and comes up in your mind during so many random moments because of how far-reaching his life was.

I saw him around CCRMA during my first year from time to time, but it was during COVID, when we had a humble crew of about 10 of us gather in a park to do yoga, that we started becoming friends. As I got to know Vince, it became evident that he was really here on this planet to partake in the things that made him happy and feel alive. I could sense it just from watching him lead us in yoga and during acro practice with him. I remember one day I showed up a little early and saw him sitting under one of the huge trees in the park where we practiced. In the most casual of tones, he said he wanted to explore the tops of the trees, and within seconds, he scrambled up to the top branches. Somehow, he was someone who made you feel like you were up there with him. I asked him if he climbed and told him he should join the Stanford Alpine Club and that we should climb together. We never ended up becoming direct climbing partners, but I loved continuing to hear about his trips and seeing the photos and videos from the climbs he began to do. While other people, including myself, get so caught up in the "grades" and what/how you should climb, he just climbed because he liked the exploration, the adventure, and the physical feeling of it. I think of him and his view of climbing whenever I feel myself getting too stressed about some trivial goal or expectation, and I think of how he would just be enjoying himself.

I loved how Vince seamlessly straddled what sometimes felt like two disparate parts of my own life, the artsy/music part and the outdoors part, in such a way that they weren't separate to him. Art, rollerblading, dancing, sculpture, mountains, and science were all different beautiful ways of interacting with the world, and Vince didn't discriminate. He saw them all as important. And he was beautifully able to form deep and authentic communities around all of them. Vince brought life and joy into every community. He showed up across so many different spheres of my life at Stanford, and I always admired how at home he seemed with so many different people. He could connect with and learn from every type of person. I was not surprised at all that he somehow made his defense fun, celebratory, and full of Vince livelihood, and that it was attended by all of the people who got to witness his PhD journey.

A distinct memory I wanted to share was about a time at a party at Rains that our friend Vaim was throwing. His lovely mother came to visit, and I ended up getting to know her, standing outside in the Rains courtyard, and learning so much more about Vince through her eyes. I got to witness just a few brief moments of their clearly loving relationship. It was beautifully clear to see that his mom saw his unique exuberance for extracting the most out of all aspects of his life, for having fun, and let him go after it. Right now, I also think of her and their family.

Around the same time, he threw his first watch party at Stanford for his first ANW season. He made it so fun - designing basic replicas of the stunts he faced during the competition that we could all try for ourselves. It was very classic Vince to create all of them, and he even found a way to make his community feel included in his ANW journey.

To be honest, I'm still a bit at a loss for words in regard to his passing. I have still been talking about him in the present tense. He definitely still seems here with us because of the imprint and the impact he had on so many of us. It gives me great comfort knowing that he truly lived his life exuberantly and to the fullest. He was free!! I will miss him and think of him and the multitudes of his life often.

Vince was such an incredible person, who I wish I had more time to get to know.

We first met on a big film set at Universal Studios Hollywood.. we were the two ninjas that were casted to play the role of Indiana Jones in the commercial for the new movie. From the moment we met, it already felt like we had been friends for a long time. It was awesome having somebody in that situation that I could relate to and talk with during the down time. We ended up having so much in common, and there’s so much about Vince that I really appreciate. We are both ninjas, and love creative movement, climbing trees, and exploring the world in unique ways. We are both artists, and are obsessed with creating and making things, each and our own ways. As someone with very deep passions for creating, I really appreciate that Vince felt the same way, and was impressed by his skills and talents in a variety of areas.

Towards the end of the shoot, there was one final shot the production team wanted to get, which involved strapping an awkward, heavy camera helmet rig onto my head as I ran across the balance obstacle. I’ll never forget how brave Vince was, and how he saved my ass by volunteering to do it since I was too nervous to do it myself 😆

Since meeting on that night, we stayed in touch and found time to meet up again multiple times. When he was in San Diego with Sasha, they visited me to come hang out and play in the jungle (my backyard obstacle course). It was such a good time for both my wife and I. They taught us acro yoga moves on our deck. I felt like a kid again, playing around with them, and staying up late on a weeknight. I found it awesome that they were the first people to ever volunteer to sleep outside on the pads underneath the canopy of trees. Only a couple days later, my wife and I found herself in his neck of the woods near SF. We met up again at David Campbell‘s backyard course, and I had a blast training with them for hours on a beautiful summer day.

The thing that stands out to me most about Vince is his unwavering positivity in every situation. He was a shining light that really lived life to the fullest. I’m heartbroken over the loss of such an amazing person, who I knew was going to be a lifelong friend. I will always keep Vince in mind, and emulate his positive attitude and adventurous spirit.

Vince was a bright light in Prison Renaissance at Stanford: deeply committed (even at the cost to his own sleep schedule!), infectiously cheerful, inspiringly ambitious about what we could do together. He was instrumental to the zine project; in fact, the first photo I have of Vince is of an exuberant & heartfelt embrace, when Emile Suotonye DeWeaver, co-founder of Prison Renaissance and the co-director of Prison Renaissance at Stanford, was able to meet us on the Stanford campus for the first time. Vince brought him a gift: a piece that he had carved from wood as part of the artivist collaboration the two of them had co-created while still separated by prison walls.

At later events, they would take the opportunity to share their experiences and reflections, to transmit to a broader audience what might be possible when art-making and abolitionist imagining are combined with trust & vulnerability & commitment a decarceral future. Vince will be missed, and it is up to those of us whose lives he touched to carry on the cheerful, unflagging, endearingly zany energy he brought to the world.

Vince was the most refreshingly unique and interesting person I've ever met (and probably will ever meet). He brought such joy and passion to his multitude of hobbies. It was truly an inspiring way to live. His dorm room was overflowing with art projects. He scaled buildings to get the lab to a roof picnic spot (that's his foot in the picture). He was a regular on American Ninja Warrior. I could go on and on with the list of his talents. Being so exceptionally talented and still tremendously grounded and kind to others is such a rare combination. Here's one fun Vince anecdote: Once we picked Vince up at LAX to meet up on the way to filming an American Ninja Warrior ad. He said he wanted to make a quick stop at the Natural History Museum on the way to the shoot. He told us he was trying to get into the field of taxidermy and wanted to check out the exhibits. About 15 minutes into walking around the unrelated butterfly tent, Vince had befriended a docent (pictured below) and got a meeting with the head of the Taxidermy department. He was just so easy to talk to and genuinely interested in other people that this kind of stuff would just happen. When we finally left the museum we had to battle across LA rush hour traffic while his studio appointed driver was calling him from outside the hotel he was supposed to be at before the shoot. I was panicking thinking if I didn't get him there in time his TV career was over, but Vince was characteristically zen the whole time. We barely made it to the studio, and rolled him out of the car, and he casually walked into the building like it was exactly as planned.

I am so deeply saddened to hear about Vincent's passing. He was volunteering with us here at Carnegie for a very brief amount of time, but I remember his huge smile and warm demeanor. He was a bundle of energy and kindness. And this from knowing him just a few moments! It breaks my heart to hear that he is no longer here to share his passions and gifts with the world. He will be deeply missed.

I do not have much to share but I did gather a description from him when he joined us!

"Vince Pane studied polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesis and applications to close-looped manufacturing for his PhD in chemistry at the Waymouth lab at Stanford University. During his PhD he also fostered his passions for art, tree-climbing, and sculpture leading to his involvement in classes such as "Partner with Trees" (taught by Devaki) and "Chemistry in the Kitchen" (taught by Richard Zare). He is currently at Stanford studying the macrostructure of woody plants as well as other form-function relationships from a sculptural lens. He is interested in developing other tree-related and interdisciplinary courses and events."

A huge loss and my deepest sympathy to his family and friends on his passing. I am including the picture he sent to me to help onboard him.

The world is a little dimmer today. I just found out that Vincent has left us and I am filled with sadness over the potential that was Vicent. I have known Vincent since he was a wee one and his personality was always larger than life. He definitely had the right brain, left brain cylinders fired up and I was always amazed at his accomplishments as a scientist, artist and athlete. He was a wonderful son, sibling and friend. When I look at the beauty this world has to offer, I will think of you my friend.

I first met Vincent as part of the Stanford running club. We ran a couple workouts together when the club was off during finals.
Then, I kept running into him in every cool activity I decided to do. I went to the gym, ran into Vince. Went climbing, Vince was there. Decided to start gymnastics open hours, Vince sporadically showed up. Biked to EVGR to see my friends, Vince was sculpting wood on the side of the bike lane. Started dancing with the Chocolate Heads group and going to Dance workshops - Vince came to each workshop and told me he used to dance with Chocolate Heads as well.

One time my boyfriend took me to a small concert in San Francisco on a Tuesday evening - who else do we bump into but Vince! I told my boyfriend: “This guy is everywhere!”. When I texted Vince saying “I always run into you in the most random places” he replied “Guess we are both just into awesome stuff!”

Looking back that really is who Vince was - into awesome stuff. He did it all: sports, arts, fashion, science at one of the most renowned institutions on earth. He had this healthy eccentricity that allowed him to express himself to the fullest and to perform in his love of life.

I was deeply saddened to learn about his loss and cannot fathom the grief that his close ones are going through. I hope you find comfort in knowing how happy and bubbly he was, and how he made the most of each second that was given to him. If there is a world after ours, I am certain Vince has already started exploring and enjoying that world as well. My sincere condolences to his family.

I only knew Vince briefly but was always touched by his extraordinary passion for life. He was as deeply principled as he was whimsical and light, and I felt truly privileged to share a campus with him. I will think of him fondly and with warmth. My sincere condolences.

I have never met anyone quite so free as Vincent Evan Pane. Vince was to me, and all who knew him, one of the most exceptional humans out there. He was unbelievably multifaceted -a brilliant chemist, an exotic fruit connoisseur, an American Ninja Warrior, an unparalleled sculptor, a dancer, a tree aficionado, an ace climber, a model, a tailor, the list goes on and on. Vince was an adventurer’s adventurer, as free spirited as they come. He was the human embodiment of carpe diem- he lived his life to the fullest, with all the color and none of the regret.

The last photos I took of Vince were fittingly a last-minute affair. After having multiple people bail on the shoot, I bumped into Vince and Kristen, who both enthusiastically agreed with less than an hours notice. Upon arrival, Vince darted through spiny thickets and shot up the abandoned telephone pole as it tilted in the wind. Once at the top he enjoyed a fresh mango, all while wearing a bright orange suit that he had tailored himself. I’ve truly never known anyone like him, and I doubt I ever will.

He was, above all else, a kind soul and a great friend to all who knew him. As my friend Eric Pattison would say “If Vince knew you, he wanted to involve you.” The world has lost much with his passing.

I am heartbroken to hear about Vince. It seems unbelievable that someone so full of life, energy, passion, and creativity could be gone. I have so many memories of Vince that now take on new meaning as I truly realize the impact that he’s had on me and on others around him.

I first met Vince as his TA mentor when he was a first year graduate student and I was a second year. Immediately we started talking about art, athletics, rock climbing, Colorado, fireworks, etc. I was struck by how passionate he was and how many interests and hobbies he had. Throughout graduate school he was an inspiration to me - that even through the rigors of a Chemistry PhD, he didn’t sacrifice his true joys in life. It was only after I graduated and started my job that I started realizing the same things - that hobbies and outside-of-work activities were the most important. I remember talking to Vince on the phone about this realization and he was happy for me, and said, “about time!” He had had it figured out the whole time.

We went on adventures hiking, climbing trees, and doing art. We ran a silkpainting class together. I was honored to help out a bit on his woodcarving of the kneeling child. He actually worked on that piece (snatching 30 minutes of sleep here and there) in my basement. He would come over and I’d cook food with my boyfriend and Vince would eat and eat, needing to fuel the incredible amount of energy he spent on living life to the fullest. We always sent him home with so many leftovers knowing that he would be deep in concentration on an art project soon. I loved these times with Vince; I was so inspired by his energy and his unwillingness to compromise on who he was. I helped him dye some parts of his costume for American Ninja Warriors and was so proud to support him in his efforts! He was so strong, talented, graceful, and vibrant. He truly lived life to the fullest at each and every moment. I remember doing helium fills of the NMRs with him and how he always tried to mess around with the helium and have fun with it. He made every moment fun and more than it was before. He connected with the world and with other people in a way that is so rare.

I regret not corresponding with him more after I left Stanford and moved away. I think we both didn’t go on our phones much. But I always bragged about my friend who was on American Ninja Warriors. When I do art projects I think of him and how he’d be happy knowing there’s a bit more art in the world. I am inspired by Vince to let my artistic and creative side show and to not apologize for who I am. Vince, you taught me so much about how to really live life, and I will never forget you. I miss you

I met Vince while working for Stanford’s dining department when he entered our Iron Chef-style Cardinal Cook-off in 2019. I was immediately drawn to his hand sewn oh-so-1970s brown striped pants! (Very Brady Bunch from my era).
I interviewed Vince for an article and from there we became fast friends. I loved sneaking him into special dining events for free food! One night he showed up rocking his sculpted wood hat. I could not believe it was made of wood. I was blown away. We texted every so often and met around campus. I am a (young) 60 year old w/ two adult sons so I suppose I felt a bit motherly toward Vince. But more so I thought he just was a cool Renaissance dude who marched to the beat of his own drummer. I remember asking him about his mom. He told me she taught him how to sew. I marveled thinking she must be one kick ass mama to have brought this kind of evolved, sweet, interesting human into the world. I'm sending love to Vince’s mama and family, and condolences for the loss of your sweet son and brother. Vince, I hope you're somewhere beautiful sculpting wood hats for angels.

PS: For the Cook-off, Vince had to create an original dish using heirloom mushrooms and pork chops. He and his partner didn’t win with their “crispy portobello with forest mushroom and prosciutto ragu. But in my eyes, he definitely won “best dressed.”

Life is a beautiful but fickle thing. Noone knows this more than you now, Vince.

Thank you for sharing thoughts and energy, art and laughter. You’ve been a true friend to Nils and so to me. I’m grateful to have met you and I ache over the irrecoverable fact that your adventure time got cut short.

May your spirit dance forever with the stars. Frauke

Vince showed me around the Chemistry department and he was one of the nicest and artistic people on campus. He will be truly missed for his talents and open-mindedness to the world.

Vince was the graduate art fellow at Kimball, the arts-themed residence at Stanford, when I met him in my senior year. Vince with the hand-sewn shirts, chunky earring, and indomitable joy.

In 2020, when we were all muddling our way through the isolating early days of the pandemic, Vince was the kind of friend who reached out to check that you were doing okay, that you were still making art, that you moved your body recently. He radiated creativity and care.

One conversation we had feels particularly poignant now. It was about public art interventions. Outside the Cantor Arts Center, there's a sculpture by Deborah Kass called OY/YO. Two monumental yellow aluminum letters—Y and O, each about 8x8' and 4' deep. Vince and I talked of scrounging up enough scrap material to transform it into #YOLO—that ubiquitous 2010s motto that was, in its best sense, about living life to the fullest. He wanted to use it as a backdrop for a cheesy music video with, and I quote, "lots of chest hair."

We never got around to dumpster diving for the cardboard to stage the sculpture intervention. But, as anyone reading the incredible memories on this wall can see, Vince absolutely lived life to its weirdest, most wonderful limits and pulled the rest of us along for the ride.

Vince, I'll continue to think of you every time I pass by a discard pile of tree stumps. If there's an afterlife, I hope you're out there skating circles that hug the heavens and carving smiles into the skies.

Sending light and deepest care to Vince's loved ones and the many communities he built and sustained.

I only got to hang out with Vince a few times, but I always wanted to spend more time with him. We were trying to plan a city roller blading session for this summer. I found him carving late one evening — as many of us did — and we talked for a long while about his woodworking and our ideas on life. Vince showed me some of his campus ninja training spots, and he’d often text me with new possible adventures - Acroyoga circus, etc. I was glad to be invited to join him on these crazy delightful adventures. His was a bright soul and I will miss him.

Vince always felt like an almost magical individual who showed those of us lucky enough to meet him that life had more color and possibilities than we often remember. On multiple occasions, for example, while on the 2 AM walk home from a party we would bump into Vince working on his latest art project outside in the dark. There was something wondrous about these encounters, running into this individual who no matter the time of day seemed to be continuously creating. Looking through my phone for pictures I am grateful that I had the sense to capture one of these encounters. Perhaps fittingly, it seems like he and I didn’t stop to record all of the other times we shared. From making ice cream with liquid nitrogen (that we definitely did not steal) to constructing a wind sail for my skateboard (that definitely did work perfectly), Vince gave me numerous unique experiences that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I am glad I got to play a small part in his epic story, helping to film and write his first Ninja Warrior application. In the hours we shared as co-NMR TA’s, passing the time while waiting for the instruments to fill, I also got to see that as larger-than-life as he was, Vince had aspirations and anxieties just like us mere mortals.
It pains me to no end that I won’t get to bump into Vince somewhere in the middle of the night as he labors over his latest project. But the magic and wonder he brought into the world remains with those of us lucky to have met him. As long as we remember to be a bit more adventurous, a bit more weird, and above all to create more, Vince lives on in us.

Vince brightened up Prison Renaissance. He always had stories to tell about his dance troupe, unfinished wood carvings, self-made clothes, ninja adventures, and chemistry. No matter if there was demoralizing news, we’d end up laughing and bonding.

He also had a strong sense of justice and compassion. Beyond Vince’s many creative talents, it was remarkable the amount of thought he put into his projects and friendships.

I still feel like I could walk onto campus and see Vince laughing and roller skating. It’s hard to imagine someone with so much vitality is gone.

Rest in peace, Vince.

I can't believe this tragedy...

Four years ago, I found myself in a "music tunnel", where a bunch of folks gathered to play music and sing. Candlelight illuminated drawings on the floor and walls, deep voices echoed the words of "Sound of Silence", and a full moon created a magical moment. That's where I first met Vince -- I even have a picture of that moment (the 1st photo). He was wearing a jumpsuit and jewelry that he crafted himself, and when he mentioned he was also doing PhD in chemistry, all that immediately captured my attention.

From then on, I would often see Vince on campus -- carving, rollerskating, dancing, climbing trees, or at parties with friends. Our conversations ranged from the random to the profound. There was always something grounding about knowing he was around.

Vince always had a unique and gentle way of treating the world, with a kind of care, avoiding greed, excess, or burnout.

He had so much left to give and create. It feels surreal to be writing about him in the past tense now.

Vince, I can't believe this is it... Thank you for everything, friend.

Brilliant.

Vince was brilliant, in every sense of the word. Intellectually brilliant, as we all know. But also, and most importantly, his spirit.

Vince shone out with the brilliance of a fiercely burning shooting star. His essence exuded such a vivacious energy that ignited flames of passion in everyone he came into contact with. He was a catalyst for creative inspiration and expression. He still is.

For me, Vince will live forever in the brilliance of nature's unknowable beauty. In the awe of incomprehensible natural phenomenon. In the ethereal play of light and shadow, color, texture, and movements of the universe. Through art, Vince's brilliance lives on.

Thank you, Vince, for all you brought to life.