Jeannie Abrams, an administrative assistant for summer sessions, died suddenly in the department office on Nov. 13 at the age of 53.
“She collapsed and they never revived her. Everyone was pretty stunned by it and very saddened when the news came … that she had passed away,” said Bruce Armstrong, the student services manager.
David Unruh, the assistant provost of Academic Program Development, also worked with Abrams, who is not related to former acting Chancellor Norman Abrams. He said her death was a true loss to their department.
“Jeannie … was a remarkable resource for students, their parents, families (and) international students. (She) really thrived on helping people solve problems,” Unruh said.
Tony Beck, a registration specialist who worked with Jeannie in the summer sessions office, was saddened by the loss of his coworker and friend.
“I worked with her 25 years, and she was a really good soul,” Beck said.
Armstrong remembers Abrams as an exceptional coworker.
“She was an extremely upbeat person, very outgoing and someone that knew the names of probably more people on campus than anyone I’ve ever known,” Armstrong said.
A graduate of California State University Northridge, Abrams went on to be an important part of the Bruin family.
“She was really dedicated to UCLA. It was like a family to her,” Armstrong said.
As a child, she bred dogs and exotic birds. Her love of animals continued throughout her life.
“She was devoted to her dog, Shadow, a black lab mix,” Armstrong said.
Abrams involved herself in charity work relating to her love of animals.
“She worked with the Lange Foundation ”“ a no-kill shelter for dogs and cats ““ and she would be constantly donating her time and constantly looking for stuff to donate,” Beck said.
Armstrong said Abrams was dedicated to other charity work as well.
“She always served food on Thanksgiving at various shelters. She was very active in those kinds of things,” Armstrong said.
Beck said generosity came naturally to Abrams.
“She was a giving person, and didn’t like the spotlight on her but loved to give to other people, and strangers especially. She always went the extra mile for the stranger in need,” Beck said.
Unruh said Abrams changed people’s perspectives of the university.
“People often criticize the university ““ and Los Angeles ““ for being impersonal, but Jeannie was very much the opposite,” Unruh said.
Armstrong said the condolences began pouring in after Abrams’ death.
“A lot of people came by the day after (she died) … we’ve gotten flowers (and) cards in Jeannie’s memory,” he said.
Unruh said he was not surprised at the public reaction to her passing.
“One of the things we’ve discovered in the week since her death is just how many people … know Jeannie, and people have expressed their sympathies to us. She really was one of those well-known fixtures on campus,” he said.
Armstrong described her as someone with an “extremely upbeat personality.”
Unruh agreed, adding that her character shone through her work.
“She was always appreciative of who she was talking to and where she was and what she was doing, and just very positive … and very interested in making connections with people. And I think that really is the essence of her personality,” Unruh said.
A memorial service in Jeannie Abrams’ honor will be held on Dec. 11 in the Faculty Center at 4 p.m.