Hometown memorial for UW student

Stein touched UW; school reaching out to family

Those who were close to Daniel Stein remember him as a quiet, intelligent and sensitive young man who never complained or expressed any discomfort.

Many now wish he had offered some indication of the feelings that drove the UW student to take his own life last week.

"He was a really nice guy; he never had anything bad to say about anyone," said Brandon Melland, a friend of Daniel's from Jackson High School in their hometown of Mill Creek. "I think he really liked getting the chance to go to the UW."

Daniel's death took friends, his computer science professors and the Mill Creek community in general by surprise.

Those paying their respects gathered yesterday in Mill Creek to share recollections and condole family members.

Daniel's friends remember him as someone who could lift their spirits and make them feel at ease, recounting hours of fun playing sports and video games.

"He enjoyed computer games and pretty much anything computer-related," said John Moe, another high school friend of Daniel's.

"He could play a pretty mean game of tennis," added UW senior Chris Cotten, also from Jackson. "He lived on my floor in Haggett Hall during my freshman year. He was always excited about some programming project he was working on. I think he enjoyed the challenge of studying computer science."

Daniel committed suicide Wednesday of last week. A spokesperson from the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's office confirmed Stein had hung himself in his Mill Creek home. Family members said there was little to indicate why Daniel chose to take his life.

Since Daniel passed away, the many groups and communities he impacted during his life have showered his family with support.

"We've gotten tremendous support from the community and everyone who knew Daniel," said Donald Stein, his father. "The fire department, the police, the local chaplains, the faculty and staff at the UW computer science department, and even the faculty and staff from Jackson High have come together with us. I really appreciate all of his friends who have been calling and voicing their support."

More than a few tears were shed for Daniel at his memorial service, held yesterday at Mill Creek Community Church.

Pastor Eleanor Rietkerk, who works as a chaplain with the Mill Creek Fire Department, first met the Stein family when she went to their home following the suicide.

At the memorial, Reitkerk led the attendees in prayer before describing Daniel 's kind nature and diverse interests. She also implored the members of the audience to be forthcoming with feelings of depression and loneliness, and seek help from friends and family members.

"After Daniel died, his parents looked through his textbooks to see if they could find any clue as to what he felt," said the pastor. "While reading his copy of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, they found the following stanza underlined: 'Alone, alone, all, all alone/ Alone on a wide wide sea!/ And never a saint took pity on/ My soul in agony.' If anyone here feels like that, I'd like you to please seek help, because it is out there."

Afterward, the microphone was left open for friends of Daniel to share their memories.

"I nicknamed him Hoover," said Stein's middle school baseball coach. "That's because everything that came by him got sucked into his glove. Whatever I asked him to do he did with all his heart."

A local woman recalled the time Daniel spent with her son Colin during their childhood.

"I always knew that when Colin was with him, he wouldn't get into any trouble," she said. "One of the things I remember most about Daniel was his giggle. One of the best parts of being a mother was being at home when they played and hearing their giggles echo through the house. I thank Daniel for bringing that into my life."

Colin spoke as well.

"I don't have any specific memories of my time with Daniel -- what I remember is the countless hours I spent with him and all the fun we had together. He was one of the best friends I ever had, and I wish that I'd had more contact with him these last few years. Sometimes you don't realize how precious something is until it's gone."

Following the service, a group of computer science faculty members from the UW presented Daniel 's diploma, signed by UW President Richard McCormick, to his family.

"I always felt really comfortable around Dan," said UW senior John Krajewski, who roomed with Daniel during their freshman year. "We would play racquetball, video games, have all-night "Starcraft" marathons, stuff like that."

Krajewski recalled one time he and Daniel set each other's alarm clocks ahead in jest, causing them to wake up in the middle of the night to go to their morning classes.

"He had the most unique sense of humor," said Krajewski. "We would tell each other jokes no one else could understand. A lot of people who didn't get to know Dan so well never saw that side of him."