Siena College
04/24/2026 | News release | Archived content
The Life and Legacy of Dr. Eccarius-Kelly
Professor. Mentor. Activist. And so much more.
The life and accomplishments of Vera Eccarius-Kelly, Ph.D. were celebrated April 18 with a campus memorial service in the SSU. The professor of comparative politics died December 6, 2025 after a battling cancer for several years. Colleagues, students, alumni, and community partners came together to reflect on a career defined by scholarship, service, and an unwavering commitment to justice.
The service was organized by political science colleagues Laurie Naranch, Ph.D., and Len Cutler, Ph.D.
"Creating spaces for gathering, building bridges, extending a hand, opening doors - these are the ordinary actions of our mission at Siena," said Naranch. "Vera created spaces for gathering inside and outside the classroom; on 'The Roundtable' program on WAMC with the listeners who heard her charming German-accented English; lending a hand with her expert testimony in asylum cases; working to find homes and welcome new refugees to our campus and community; opening doors in her travels with others around the world and up and down the Hudson Valley and the Adirondacks; building a better world with her work for fair trade, indigenous, and women's empowerment; welcoming and mentoring new faculty and staff at Siena. Vera had a distinct ability to connect with others, and to connect people to each other, wherever she went. And that is what we continue today with this celebration of life."
"Vera has been a very special person in my life and my world feels emptier without seeing her and talking with her," said Cutler. "I have the deepest admiration for her character, her passion and her commitment for living her life. She remains my special warrior for justice and she always will be."
In recognition of Eccarius-Kelly's expertise as a scholar of Latin America, an ofrenda - a special altar to celebrate deceased loved ones - was set up at the service, displaying meaningful objects to honor her life: publications, baskets woven by Mayan artisans, photographs, flowers, and other items. There was also a world map to show the countries where she traveled with Siena students and colleagues.
"Like a classic comparative politics scholar, Vera was always on the move to help foster meaningful cultural exchanges," said Naranch.
Faculty colleague and friend Lisa Nevarez, Ph.D., shared an essay she wrote in Eccarius-Kelly's memory, recalling how they met in the summer of 2002 as new Siena faculty members, their burgeoning friendship while Nevarez was pregnant with her first-born, to the close of her friend's life, as they quietly held hands in the hospital. Representatives from the non-profits Every Campus a Refuge and Mayan Hands also spoke, as did the host of WAMC's "The Roundtable," among others.
As a nod to her fondness for gardening, packets of iris seeds were given to attendees as a special memento.
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