The Life of Dana Sambuco

Dana  Joyce Sambuco died at Yale New Haven Hospital on March 22, 2024, with her parents  and  family members by her side.  She was 39 years old,

Dana was born on June 5, 1984 to father Edmund and mother Joyce (Lumia)  in Norwalk, Connecticut.  She grew up in Norwalk,  attending  public schools there and graduating from Norwalk High School in 2002. From there she attended Goucher College in Maryland, graduating with a degree in English in 2006.  After a short job stint, she attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to receive a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree in 2010.  She worked at the University of Michigan for a time, but eventually returned to Connecticut and began a flourishing and rewarding career in scientific medical publications.  At the time of her death, she was an Associate Director of Scientific Communications at a major pharmaceutical.  She was so very grateful for this opportunity, and she relished her job and her co-workers.

Dana was a skillful and compassionate listener with an infectious smile and a great sense of humor.   Always the diplomat, she was well-attuned to how others felt, and could help get them through difficult situations.  She was devoted and loyal to her family and friends.  Her Yale doctors were greatly impressed by her tenacity, determination, and smile.

Dana was an avid reader of varied material.  She loved swimming, riding the waves, and nature hiking.  She loved travelling with family and friends, most recently to the Canadian Rockies.

Dana is survived by her parents and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends,  and also by her rescue cat, Biscuit.

Funeral services will be held at the Raymond Funeral Home, 5 East Wall Street in Norwalk on April 6, 2024 at 9 AM.  Interment will follow at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Fairfield, Connecticut.  

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Yale New Haven Hospital, 20 York Street, New Haven, CT 06510 (specify rheumatology/Myositis Center research) , or to  Orange County Animal Services, 1601 Eubanks Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 (specify cat sponsorship.)