Abel Zander

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October 16, 2020

I first got to know Abel at Arizona Downs in 2019. I was given his number to ask him to update something on the website. Noting the area code, I knew he was from Illinois as am I and we shared a few stories about that. I actually didn't meet him in... more

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October 8, 2020 · via iPhone

Abel was full of charisma, as evidenced in these photos and surely by all those who knew him. I remember playing with Abel at our grandparents’ house and he was always a sweet, kind and fun cousin/pal. Growing up I remember Abel always had the best... more

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October 7, 2020 · via mobile

I remember Abel as a do it right the first time kinda guy some may say a perfectionist, I would say its just Abel. I remember that I was fortunate enough to be invited to the zander house on Christmas to play spades and has everybody knows Abel was one... more

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October 7, 2020

I had the privilege of teaching Abel in my Islamic Thought class at the University of Arizona in spring 2018. Abel was clearly an exceptional student and wrote very thoughtful papers, one of which I reread this evening. It was wonderful to learn about... more

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October 6, 2020

Our heartfelt condolences go out to Abel's family and friends. Thank you to everyone who shared during his Celebration of Life event. We were blessed to get to know this very special human being a bit better through all of the sharing by his family and... more

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October 6, 2020

I had the privilege of knowing Abe. At first, just as a coworker, but he went on to become a volleyball teammate, a COD squad-mate, fantasy football commissioner, and for a time in Houston, a roommate. He's was a confidant, a drinking partner, and at... more

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October 6, 2020

I first met Abel at a football game freshman year of high school. He was dating my good friend Laura and he had been friends with my best friend Stephanie for a bit as well. I remember he told me I looked like Sandra Bullock and I told him he looked like... moreI first met Abel at a football game freshman year of high school. He was dating my good friend Laura and he had been friends with my best friend Stephanie for a bit as well. I remember he told me I looked like Sandra Bullock and I told him he looked like Ethan Hawke. Lol. We were 14, ok? From that time on we were friends. As we got older, Stephanie, Abel and I forged an even deeper friendship. There were months at a time that we were together almost every night...hanging out at Applebees or driving around looking for nothing to do but we together and laugh. I have so many memories flooding back. His "velociraptor" impression. "Excuse me miss but where do all the high school girls hang out?" lol...always going for the shock value. So many nights playing Tony Hawk in Steph's room. And on Thanksgiving Abel and I would have Thanksgiving dinner with our family and then we would meet up at Stephanie's house around 8pm because they ate late and we would have our "second Thanksgiving" together. Sadly we lost Stephanie's father this year too...my heart aches thinking of those holiday memories. Honestly, I have twenty plus years of memories that hurt to think about right now...he was such a force in my life and the lives of many others.
As we got older we lost touch for maybe two years but once I got back from my adventures he was right there to pick back up where we left off. Him and I were the "best man/lady" in Stephanie's wedding. I remember we both had the WORST stage fright and we were up there holding on to each other from the back to keep each other from fainting. "Look at your shoes, Tiff...just keep it together"....he was always there to help me keep it together when I needed him. I took a picture of our shoes that night as a reminder to keep my shit together...and I am so happy I did. He was honest about the men I dated. Very quick to tell me they weren't worth my time. Especially when we were living together right before he left for New York. I would bring a guy home and he would be sitting there on the floor (because he hated the couch he bought off Amazon) playing video games and he would just give me that side smirk...
And I don't know if anyone knows that he gave the BEST hand massages! And his hugs...yes they were the best.
I was blessed to have called Abel one of my best friends. I will miss him every day. The world lost such a unique soul. less

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October 6, 2020

"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?
-Stand By Me

I'm not sure if we ever watched this movie on one of our sleepovers. I'm guessing we did though. Abel lived in the house behind me growing up,... more

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October 6, 2020

I took this photo the first day I met Abel, for the Race Track Industry Program yearbook. He always said it made him look "snarky"...which is kind of perfect. He made an impression on me that day, and I liked him a lot right off the bat. We... more

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October 6, 2020

In case any of you were wondering, the Radio Abel hoodie that Abel lived in is a merchandise item from a video game called Zombies, Run! The story of the game is set in a fictitious town of Abel Township (in the UK) where the survivors of a Zombie... more

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Hannah Zander https://zombiesrun.fandom.com/wiki/Radio_Abel
- October 6, 2020

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October 6, 2020

Tala Shahin kindly allowed us to share her video, Arabic 408, a class project she and Abel recorded during his studies in Arabic at the University of Arizona.

Arabic 408 Video 1

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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October 5, 2020

I first met Abel in August of 2016 when we both had arrived at The University of Arizona to participate in the Race Track Industry Program. Abel's academic achievements speak volumes about the tenacity and vigor with which he approached his studies. It... moreI first met Abel in August of 2016 when we both had arrived at The University of Arizona to participate in the Race Track Industry Program. Abel's academic achievements speak volumes about the tenacity and vigor with which he approached his studies. It should not be overlooked though, that he approached helping his classmates in the same way. Whenever someone was struggling with their coursework, Abel was there to guide them. The responsibilities he took on outside of normal student-related matters were robust, especially considering his own immense workload. It was no surprise that he was selected to assist in the writing and editing of RTIP communications, development of the their revamped website, and coordinating different student affairs such as the mentor luncheon at the RTIP symposium.

Outside of academia, Abel and I found common ground in our love of of horse racing and appreciation for food. We regularly gathered to watch and bet on (mostly unsuccessfully) racing's biggest days. He taught me the finer points of sautéing scallops at a dinner party I hosted, saving great embarrassment on my part. One of my favorite memories of Abel was a trip to Waffle House after a night of revelry and libations. He had been talking about being hungry for quite some time before our arrival at the restaurant, and after much discussion as to whether or not it could be done, he proceeded to order and finish 22 strips of bacon and 10 scrambled eggs. After a hearty congratulations from the line cook, Abel started polishing off the waffles left over from other people's meals. My hero.

Another cherished memory was the time we spent together during the summer of 2019, during Abel's internship at Arizona Downs. Abel rented an apartment behind the house I was living in with another couple, the Campbells. The apartment only had a small kitchenette, so the back door of the main house was always left unlocked so he had access to the full kitchen. The running joke was that Abel was our Kramer, as he would make a pronounced entrance, usually with a topic of discussion that would lead to some comedic conversations or vigorous discourse about minutiae.

Attached is a photo from a trip with some of our RTIP classmates to Santa Anita Park in October of 2019. less

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October 4, 2020

Abel was excellent at cards. Found this photo from Christmas '09, I think he's probably explaining to me the fine points of a card game. I went to Vegas once and told him I was thinking of playing the Blackjack tables. He was so adamant that I not... more

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Hannah Zander Abel was a great Spades partner... when he wasn't going nil AND alone
- October 6, 2020

added 1 photo(s) to the memorial :

October 4, 2020

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October 3, 2020

Abel was beloved for his rants on human behavior.

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October 2, 2020

In 2014, Abel was cast as Francis Miller in "Airway Cops," a training video for intubation produced by the ACLS Certification Institute and Mark Dzwonkiewicz and Josh Medcalf. You can watch the video at more

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September 7, 2020

Abel loved goofing around and didn't take himself as seriously as some of his rants may have suggested...

"The Heartblocks" Soap Spoof

A bit I shot/edited for an ACLS training video. You can see the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAlA7glV4ks Cast: Ren Alexandra, Abel Zander...

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Abel Zander

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Abel Zander

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