Honoring Gustavo: Aid for Family and Children

Howie Urquhart is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Naomi Smith.

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By now you may have heard about the unexpected loss of our dearly beloved son, brother, father and friend, Gustavo Trani. Tragically, he passed away during surgery on the morning of Monday, September 9th, 2024, while receiving treatment to stabilize a minor orthopedic trauma to his elbow that had occurred only a few days prior. It became apparent during surgery that he had suffered a blood clot, and he unexpectedly went into cardiac arrest. Autopsy results indicated that a pulmonary embolism was the cause of death.

Gustavo was given a beautiful memorial and burial at the Cemitério da Saudade in his native Campinas, Brazil on September the 12th, 2024, attended by over 150 close friends and family.

Please read what his best friends wrote for him (copied below in English and in Portuguese).

”Gustavo Adolfo de Oliveira Trani, espírito de luz, alma pura, forte, saudável, menino travesso (adjetivo que ele usava para se descrever), intenso, extremamente feliz e contente. Conhecido mundialmente como Gut. Ele amava plantas e animais. O tempo para ele foi diferente, o que muita gente vive em décadas, ele viveu em segundos, e olha, ele aproveitou cada uma delas. Ele não tinha inimigos, era apaixonado, todos que o conheciam o amavam, ele era do mundo, era de todos. Tenho certeza de que muitas pessoas o consideram seu melhor amigo. Ele nos deixou prematuramente, o que nunca entenderemos, mas Deus sabe de tudo. Deixou muitos ensinamentos e 3 filhos maravilhosos que são um legado de sua passagem por aqui, ele os amava muito e tinha muito orgulho deles. Vocês (filhos) deveriam saber: Vocês têm um pai amado e respeitado. O mundo perdeu seu melhor amigo. Vá com Deus meu irmão e descanse em paz...”

”Gustavo Adolfo de Oliveira Trani, a spirit of light, a pure soul, strong, healthy, a mischievous boy (an adjective he used to describe himself), intense, extremely happy and content. Known worldwide as Gut. He loved plants and animals. Time was different for him, what many people live in decades, he lived in seconds, and look, he enjoyed every one of them. He had no enemies, he was passionate, everyone who knew him loved him, he was of the world, he was of everyone. I am sure that many people consider him their best friend. He left us prematurely, which we will never understand, but God knows everything. He left many teachings and 3 wonderful children who are a legacy of his time here, he loved them very much and was very proud of them. You (children) should know: You have a loved and respected father. The world has lost its best friend. Go with God, my brother, and rest in peace...”

In Gigi’s mother Naomi Smith’s words, “I think it's fair to say he never planned on dying so young. He loved life. I don't blame him for not having planned for it.”

Sadly this meant that at the time of his passing, he had no life insurance beneficiaries or coverage for funeral expenses. The Trani family in Campinas, Brazil had to absorb these expenses themselves. His children Jan and Gigi, as well as Gigi’s mother Naomi and her partner Nate, all paid out of pocket for their travel expenses to attend his funeral from Colorado and the Netherlands.

As news has trickled out over the past 2 weeks of Gustavo’s passing, many have asked if they can do anything to help the family. So here it is.

Please show some love for the wonderful Trani family.

This fund is dedicated to assisting the Trani family with funeral costs (Patricia, Maria and Dani), as well as covering travel expenses incurred by his children (Jan and Gigi) to attend the funeral. Any contributions beyond our goal for these expenses will be directed toward education and support for his three beautiful children.

Naomi Smith, mom of Gigi and based in Snowmass Colorado, is receiving funds on behalf of Patricia Trani, representing the Trani family. GoFundMe is not supported in Brazil, and a similar platform there, Vakinha, appears problematic for USD donations.

Gus is survived by his sisters Patricia and Danny, his mother Maria, his daughters Vicky (2) and Gigi (15), and his son Jan (18).