Students mourn sudden death of Kaneko cook

    Family, friends and loved ones filled Saint Joseph’s Church last Thursday to say goodbye to 34-year-old Cesar Eusebio Roldan, a Kaneko chef who was shot and killed over Thanksgiving break. Those close to him say students and faculty will sorely miss the kind and compassionate Roldan, who brightened everyone’s lives with his friendly and helpful attitude.

Students returning from Thanksgiving break last weekend were shocked by the news that Roldan had been killed. Many had developed relationships with him, and thought of him as a friend.

“Cesar worked as a cook in Kaneko Café, but he was a little bit more to the students,” freshman Erica Soma said. “He was the person who greeted us with a smile regardless of what was going on in his life, and was always willing to talk.”

Roldan was born on March 31, 1973 in Mexico City, Mexico, but lived most of his life in Salem. According to co-worker Todd Large, Roldan enjoyed boxing, swimming and practicing karate with his 11-year-old son Hiloy. He had worked in Goudy Commons for at least a year and most recently worked as a cook in the Kaneko Café.

Many describe Roldan as a cheerful and kind individual who always went out of his way to make others happy. “Even if he was stressed or having a hard time, he would always be happy and make conversation,” freshman Christina Thorburn said. “He was just really friendly.”

According to those who knew him, he was always there to lend a helping hand when it was needed. “I remember one time when my bike was stolen and Cesar let me borrow his bike,” Large said. “He was always willing to help people out. He would give them the shirt off his back.”

Roldan was also a loving father. Students and staff say that Roldan often brought his son Hiloy to work with him. “Whenever I talked to him about his son he was always really excited,” freshman Mika Lim said. “He just seemed really proud to be a father. It seemed like his son really looked up to him.”

Many described Roldan as a compassionate and selfless individual. “Cesar didn’t share much about his life because he was always asking about what I was doing,” Soma said.

Roldan was often willing to go the extra mile to improve the lives of the students he served. “I remember on the day I was leaving for Thanksgiving I didn’t know what to get for breakfast, so I asked him about it and he said he would surprise me,” Soma said. “A few minutes later he put a plate in front of me with a chocolate chip waffle and said that it was the first one he had ever made. He was always willing to be creative in order to make your day a little bit better.”

The Roldan family has a history of involvement with Kaneko. Roldan’s father, Eusebio, worked in the Kaneko Café and his son attended Kaneko Day Camp over the summer. As TIUA is centered around Kaneko, the TIUA students had a close relationship with Roldan, his father and his son. Roldan’s father taught many students to speak Spanish and some would play video games with Hiloy while he waited for his father to finish work.

TIUA students also became close with Roldan through their contact with him over the summer. “During the summer we ate three meals a day at Kaneko so I and all the TIUA students interacted with Cesar and the other Kaneko staff every day three times a day,” TIUA Campus Life Assistant Cassandra Farrin said.

Roldan also provided support and comfort for the TIUA students. “During summer vacation, especially, there were so few English-speakers around with whom students could chat, but Cesar was always happy to spend time talking with them,” Farrin said.

Many TIUA students showed their support by attending Roldan’s funeral last Thursday. “The TIUA community is based in Kaneko, so they were close to him as well,” Soma said. “The TIUA students took up at least two rows of seats at the funeral on Thursday and almost all of them left the church in tears.”

Students, faculty and family alike are confused and upset by the tragic circumstances of Roldan’s death. “I only interacted with Cesar in little ways, but those little ways added up,” Farrin said. “When you see someone every morning and afternoon, they become a part of your life. It was clear to me that he was a wonderful person who did not deserve to die at such a young age and in such a terrible way.”

Roldan’s friendly nature and thoughtfulness made him a favorite of many who dined in Kaneko. “He provided the kind of small talk that just makes your day better,” Thorburn said. “He was the kind of influence you don’t really realize or fully appreciate until it’s gone.”

Kaneko Council and TIUA have organized their own memorial service to pay respects to Roldan. The service will be held today, Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 5:15 p.m. in the Kaneko Atrium.  “We had no idea that students were so close with him,” Chaplain Charlie Wallace said.  “Once we found out, we decided to do something more to honor him.”

By Lauren Gold
Contact: lgold@willamette.edu

Share This