The University of Wisconsin art department suffered a loss this week when a professor passed away unexpectedly.

The cause of Gelsy Verna’s death is still unknown, according to Elaine Scheer, chair of the UW art department. Scheer believes Verna passed away Sunday.

?She was a wonderful colleague and a very kind person and a great teacher and always concerned about our great students,? Scheer said.

According to Scheer, Verna was the type of person that never let little things bother her, who wore bright clothing, collected decorated shoeshine boxes and wove baskets.

Verna touched a lot of lives at UW, she added.

?She had a lot of very successful students she?s helped,? Scheer said.

Verna?s artistic passions were for drawing and making collages, according to Scheer. A collection of some of Verna?s work is currently on display in UW?s Memorial Library.

Born in 1961 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Verna lived in Haiti, Zaire and Canada as a child, and received her Masters of Fine Arts from the School of Art Institute of Chicago in 1990.

She had been on the UW faculty since 2001.

Verna leaves behind a 5-year-old daughter named Clara. The child is currently being cared for by one of Verna?s close colleagues, UW art professor T.L. Solien, and his wife Deborah. According to Scheer, they have been ?like an aunt and uncle? to Clara.

Scheer added she believes the child will probably be put under the care of one of Verna?s relatives.

Scheer said the department had arranged for a small memorial session to take place today in Humanities 6265 at 10 a.m. for those who knew Verna and wish to attend. There will be grief counselors present.

According to Scheer, the department is planning to have a more open, larger memorial ceremony soon.