Not a seat, walkway or spot for standing was empty at the Ira Allen chapel this afternoon where University of Vermont student Derek Schueler’s wake was held. ? Hundreds of family members, neighbors, friends and University administrators gathered to mourn the loss of Schueler, a senior, who died suddenly last week. ? Close friends of Schueler and his family gave speeches highlighting his friendliness, professional ambition, athletic talent and warm smile. The memorial also included a reading from First Corinthians and Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet. ? The three projection screens at the front of the chapel showed a photo of Schueler with the caption, “In Celebration of Derek’s Beautiful Life”. ? Schuler died at Fletcher Allen hospital around 4 a.m. on Aug. 18, the Burlington Free Press first reported. He was pronounced dead after drowning in the private Burlington Tennis Club located on East Terrace. ? The cause of death for Schueler is still pending, according to the Vermont Medical Examiner’s Office, although the police report stated that no foul play was suspected. The Medical Examiner’s office is expected to conduct an autopsy on Monday to determine the cause of death. ? A South Burlington native, Schueler was a finance major at the University of Vermont, an active member of the Sigma Phi Society and, most recently, an intern at Dealer.com based in Burlington. ? Schueler is survived by mother Vivien Allan and her partner Jack Wallace of Shelburne; father Kurt Schueler of Burlington, and his older sister Alexandra Schueler. ? Bryan Williams, an English teacher at Burlington High School and a former neighbor of the family, led the proceedings during the wake. ? “As an English teacher, I am by trade and by nature a storyteller. I love a good story, and I until recently I loved Derek’s story,” Williams said, urging those in attendance to “give Derek a good story” by living their own lives to the fullest.