• Ryan Clark, 22, a senior biology and English major with a 4.0 grade-point average, was known as "Stack" to his friends in the Marching Virginians college band, who said of him on their Web site: "He was a loved friend, mentor, and role model who will always hold a special place in the hearts of all the MVs as a true example of The Spirit Of Tech. Stack, we thank you for all the memories, and for sharing with us your true love of life. We will love and miss you always." He had been planning to pursue a PhD in psychology with a focus in cognitive neuroscience.
• Liviu Librescu, 76 a professor at Virginia Tech originally from Romania, survived the Holocaust in Europe and remained a fighting hero until the end. His son, Joe Librescu, told the Associated Press that his father "blocked the doorway with his body and asked the students to flee. ... Students started opening windows and jumping out." The elder Librescu was recognized internationally for his research in aeronautical engineering, said the head of the Engineering Science and Mechanics Department at Virginia Tech.
• Reema Joseph Samaha, student, as remembered by one of her teachers: "She was a lovely girl with a luminous smile. She somehow gave the impression of being completely open, but also completely capable of hiding complexities unimagined by those around her. ... She deserved better than my tutelage, better than to die on the floor of some nameless classroom, better than any of us could give her. I know she believed in a God and an afterlife. Perhaps she is in a better place, beyond pain and fear, and the events of April 16 were no more than a brief snarl in the thread of her life. She is gone. That is tragedy enough for a lifetime."
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• Caitlin Hammaren, 19, was a sophomore majoring in international studies and French. John P. Latini, the principal of Minisink Valley High School (from which she graduated in 2005), said, "She was just one of the most outstanding young individuals that I've had the privilege of working with in my 31 years as an educator." On Hammaren's Facebook page, Bri Powell, from the University of Central Florida, wrote, "Our prayers are with our fallen sister & her family, this is such a horrific tragedy & I'm deeply saddened that [the women's fraternity] KKG has lost such a beautiful person. God Bless all of the VT students – today we are all Hokies!"
• Erin Peterson, 18, of Virginia, who had been injured Monday, died Tuesday in the hospital. Her father, Grafton Peterson, told CNN after monitoring his daughter all night, "My baby didn't make it." Meanwhile, Kirsten Bennett writes on Peterson's Facebook page: "I went to middle school with this amazing girl, and 5 years later, i can still remember her huge smile and comforting spirit! She was such a remarkable girl and great friend... i will miss her greatly! my prayers to all of erin's friends and families."
