Help support Wendy, a sudden widow and mother of 3

Our dear friend César Castillo, beloved biologist and educator at Queens College and father of three, passed away unexpectedly last Wednesday morning, March 1st, succumbing to a lung affliction he bore for months, though few knew of it. He leaves behind his children, mother-in-law, and wife Wendy.

Wendy worked as a longtime schoolteacher, having taught at several New York City high schools, including the Bronx School of Science, until her mother fell ill with cancer. Without a second thought, she selflessly set aside her career to care for her mother full-time, leaving César as the sole income provider for the household. Now, in the wake of this tragedy, she must navigate not only the tremendous grief of losing the love of her life, but also continue to provide for her remaining family.

Wendy is also in the final stages of earning her master's degree (in biology), an impressive feat considering she accomplished this while simultaneously balancing a challenging career, and building a family. We, her “lab family”, are arranging this fundraiser to help with medical bills from Césars final night, and household expenses while she adjusts to the scary and unfamiliar territory of single motherhood. There is no doubt in our minds that she would do the same for any one of us.

"César was a gentle and loving soul, somehow managing to create peace wherever he went. He was born on January 10, 1980, in Colombia, and immigrated to the United States with his parents when he was four years old. He received his bachelor’s degree at Queens College, and then a Master’s degree for a study of fossil leaves. By 2005 he was working as a lab technician, but still took classes to enrich his knowledge of nature. In 2006 he met Wendy Perez, while they took a class on wetlands. César and Wendy studied together and soon fell in love. He once mentioned that he found her the most beautiful when she was in the field, in waders. She once said she fell for him when he spoke scientific names to her. One day he presented her with an orchid, not yet having a ring, and they were engaged. In June 2009 they were married. They shared their love of nature and biological research in the wilds around New York City, and on the islands of St. Croix and Hawaii. They had three children—Giselle born in October 2011, Elyse in May 2015, and Santiago in March 2020. The Castillo family had their picture taken in front of the magnolia tree on the Queens College campus every year. César was an honored colleague to everyone in the QC Biology Department, and was a dear friend to many. He was one of the college’s greatest naturalists. Birds were his particular focus, and he knew and understood them to an extent that mystified those who wandered with him. But with all of his knowledge, what everyone will remember most is César’s spirit of humility and kindness."