Olivia Rotondo, UNH Dancer, to Be Laid to Rest

Olivia Rotondo, a University of New Hampshire student who died Saturday of a suspected drug overdose after attending a music festival in New York, will be laid to rest this week.


Rotondo, 20, was a junior. She was a member of the UNH dance team.
“She was the nicest girl I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing,” a friend told the New York Times.

Rotondo attended the Electric Zoo music festival over the weekend. Officials told the Times they believe Rotondo and another concertgoer died of overdosing on MDMA, also known as Ecstasy or "molly."

Rotondo was born in Stoneham, Mass. and grew up in Rhode Island. Her funeral will be held Friday.

Below is her obituary:

Olivia Noel Rotondo, 20, of North Providence, passed away Saturday August 31, 2013 at Metropolitan Hospital Center, Manhattan.

Olivia was born in Stoneham, MA on May 17, 1993. She was the loving daughter of David A. and Dorothy (Sweeney) Rotondo. In addition to her parents, she is survived by her cherished sister, Julianne Rotondo; paternal grandparents, Henry and Nancy (Silva) Rotondo; maternal grandparents, Francis and Marie (Pezzole) Sweeney; and many aunts, uncles, cousins and dear friends.

Olivia was a junior at the University of New Hampshire and a member of the UNH Dance team. She attended Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket, RI and was a member of the State Championship Cheerleading team. Olivia was a dancer at Cheryl’s School of Dance for 15 years and was the recipient of the Boston Dance Teacher Association’s Ballet Scholarship. Olivia and her family are members of Saint Augustine Church of Providence RI. 

Calling hours will be Thursday 4-8 PM at the A.A Mariani and Son Funeral Home, 200 Hawkins St. Providence. Funeral Friday at 9 AM followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 AM in St. Augustine Church, 639 Mount Pleasant Ave., Providence, RI. Interment will follow in St. Ann Cemetery in Cranston, RI. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Olivia’s favorite charity in her memory to Rett Syndrome Research Trust, 67 Under Cliff Rd., Trumbull, Ct. 06611.