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"Chelsea Decaminada, a 2011 graduate of John Jay High School in Cross River and 2015 Duke University graduate, was in Sri Lanka on assignment with the Office of the General Counsel of the Commerce Department. She was 26.
"It was our great hope that Chelsea would recover from her injuries," said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross in a statement. My prayers are with Chelsea’s family during this difficult time.
"Chelsea devoted her life to public service, and her dedication and spirit were a model for all of us at Commerce. She served her country with distinction. As we mourn her loss, we must continue to fight terrorism around the world.
"She was also a community health advisor with the Peace Corps for two years before joining the Commerce Department. She was also a foreign policy Intern at the Clinton Foundation.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Chelsea’s family," Alaina Teplitz, the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, said in a statement. "We pay tribute to Chelsea – and all those lost and injured – by partnering with Sri Lanka and nations around the world to bring unity in the face of terrorism.”
“Westchester County mourns the loss of one of our own," Westchester County Executive George Latimer said. "Chelsea was a dedicated public servant "
The Sri Lankan Health Ministry revised the death toll of the April 21 attacks targeting churches and hotels to 253 from the initially reported total of 290.
Decaminada's family will receive friends on Wednesday, May 15 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Clark Associates Funeral Home in Katonah.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, May 16 at 11:30 am at St. Joseph's RC Church in Somers. Interment will follow at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Somers.
Memorial donations in memory of Chelsea Decaminada may be sent to Plan USA at planusa.org.
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