Friends and family of University of Wisconsin senior Zach Zenk, who died last week in his Madison home, honored his memory during a memorial service in La Crosse Tuesday.
Zenk is survived by his parents and two sisters. He graduated from Aquinas High School in La Crosse in 2007, where he was a member of the wrestling team, and he had a passion for computers and programming, according to Zenk’s obituary.
Zenk was also employed on campus as a student web developer for external relations in the College of Engineering, working on rebuilding their website, UW spokesperson John Lucas said.
The Madison Police Department is currently conducting an investigation into Zenk’s death, pending the results of a toxicology report from a medical examiner.
MPD Lieutenant Dave McCaw said police are still waiting for the medical examiner to determine cause of death, which will then influence the next steps the investigation will take.
“When a young person passes, it’s not like an old person passing because it’s unexpected, because it’s unusual. Not a lot of young people die,” McCaw said. “We’re taking it seriously. Everyone is really looking at it as a death investigation.”
The results of the test can take anywhere between the next two to three weeks, McCaw said. In these cases, where cause of death is uncertain,MPDusually works with a medical examiner, he added.
“I think that anything that moves any further in our investigation will be hinged on that,” McCaw said.
If the cause of death is found to be natural, no further action by the police is necessary, McCaw said. He added police currently do not believe anything suspicious contributed to Zenk’s death.
He said any investigation into the death of a younger person is “puzzling,” because there is no simple explanation for the cause of death.
Lucas said UW is now focused on providing resources to Zenk’s friends or anyone who might need help.
He added university administrators were informed by Madison police but were also unaware of the cause of death.
“It’s a tragedy any time a student and a member of our community passes away,” Lucas said. “Our way to react to any sort of student death is just to provide resources for his roommates and anyone who might need help.”
Currently no services or memorials on campus are planned.
University Health Services Counseling and Consultation Services are available if any students are in need. Students can drop in toUHSoffices on East Campus Mall on the 7th floor between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For more information onUHS Counseling services, students can call 608-265-5600.
