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Memorial service Oct. 16 for J. Christopher Stevens

By Public Affairs

A memorial service for J. Christopher Stevens, the late U.S. ambassador to Libya and a UC Berkeley alumnus, will be held in the rotunda of the San Francisco City Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 4:30 p.m.

“We would be honored to include any from the university family who wished to attend,” the family wrote in a note announcing the service.

A moment of silence for Stevens was held last Saturday at the UC Berkeley’s home football game.

The campus also has set up a fund — The J. Christopher Stevens Memorial Fund — to receive gifts in Stevens’ honor. Donations can be made through UC Berkeley’s “Give to Cal” website at givetocal.berkeley.edu or mailed to The J. Christopher Stevens Memorial Fund c/o University Relations, 2080 Addison St., University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-4200.

Stevens received a B.A. in history from UC Berkeley, completing his studies in 1982. A Peace Corps stint in Morocco ignited a lifelong passion for the Middle East, leading eventually to his career in the Foreign Service and postings in several Middle Eastern countries. His father, mother, stepfather and brother all are graduates of UC Berkeley. He also is survived by a sister in Seattle.

“Stevens’ life epitomized the best of UC Berkeley’s graduates, a commitment to excellence at the highest level and a passion for making the world a better and more peaceful place,” Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau said in a statement following the ambassador’s death.