Thursday, August 28th, 2008

Colleagues, friends remember Peter Santos’ humor, potential

On March 18, the Student Bar Association held a candlelight vigil for third-year law student Peter Santos, who passed away March 15. He was 28.

Elizabeth Cheadle, assistant dean of students for the Law School, said Santos died of natural causes.

The vigil was held in the Law School courtyard and more than 50 students, professors and administrators came to share often tearful remembrances of the deceased.

Santos passed away while visiting his mother in his hometown of Carmichael, near Sacramento.

His funeral was held in Carmichael on March 20.

After earning his bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley in 1996, Santos pursued a career in entertainment.

He worked as a staff writer for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and wrote a number of sitcom pilots.

He also worked as a stand-up comedian in venues around the country before entering the UCLA School of Law in the fall of 2000.

Santos is remembered for his popularity and sense of humor.

Third-year law student Brenda Tavakoli, a close friend of Santos, said “he could put a smile on everyone’s face.”

Santos’ friends and professors also remember his intelligence and potential.

Cheadle said Santos had a “tremendous amount of promise.”

Santos hoped to work as an entertainment lawyer and had secured a position with Granada Entertainment.

He would have graduated this May.

While a student, Santos wrote for the Docket, the law school newspaper, and edited the Entertainment Law Review.

Santos also served as a student mentor to first-year law students and acted as the student liaison to the Beverly Hills Bar Association.

Damare Theriot, Santos’ girlfriend, said his ambition was to become a network television executive.

His friends had an “ongoing bet that he would run NBC one day,” Tavakoli said.

Santos is survived by his mother Teresa and his father Pedro.