Editor’s note: The Daily Bruin has a policy to omit the cause of death in an obituary in sensitive situations. In this instance, the editors discussed the cause of death and decided that out of respect for the deceased and her family we would not divulge that information.

Rachelle Wong, a fourth-year international development studies student, died Aug. 3 in her Rieber Terrace dorm room. She was 20.

Among her friends and colleagues, Wong was known for her funny personality and a willingness to put others before herself ““ whether it meant loaning out her car, traveling to Honduras to volunteer in a hospital, or to simply listen.

Wong’s roommate from last year Courtney Whitlock, a fourth-year English student, said once when she returned from class to their Hedrick Hall dorm room, she found Wong had written on her mirror, “I’m super blessed to have you as a roommate.”

Grace Cho, a third-year global studies student, said she met Wong last year at the InterVarsity Bruin Christian Fellowship, a campus church group where Wong was an active member and organizer of the group.

Cho said she felt out of place at her first meeting. Everyone was having serious conversations, she said ““ everyone except Wong. She said Wong was just laughing while talking to other members and seemed to be having a good time.

Cho said that she had never had so much fun during prayer before meeting Wong. With her humor and quirkiness, Wong would always make those around her comfortable.

“Her humor helped people realize that we’re all human and that we can be ourselves as we share our faith,” said Earl Duque, a UCLA alumnus who met Wong in their fellowship before he graduated.

She spoke as is if she were on a sitcom, with a joke ready for any occasion, he added.

“She was really good at coming up with jokes on the spot,” Duque said. “Quick, off-topic, very random, almost completely off-the-matter jokes.”

Wong’s humor even extended to how she dealt with day-to-day life.

When Whitlock failed to wake up to her alarm, Wong found a different solution.

“To wake me up in the morning, (Wong) would shoot me with a Nerf gun to make me get up,” Whitlock said, laughing.

She sprinkled the humor in her writing and directing various short films, as well, Cho said.

As a member of Lapu, the Coyote that Cares Theater Company on campus, Wong wrote and directed “Blocked” ““ a parody of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” In the play, the troubled character Rose is visited not by ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, but by human Tetris pieces that try to piece Rose’s life together.

Wong was also a part of UCLA’s Kendo Club, a group that practices the modern martial art of Japanese swordsmanship.

In her second year at UCLA, Wong was a team leader during the annual Yuhihai competition, said Erika Gleim, a fourth-year East Asian studies student and Kendo Club member. She said Wong always tried to make Kendo fun by telling jokes or by making up nicknames for club members that would show up on their kendo uniforms. Wong’s nickname was “Typhoon.”

Gleim said that Wong always made the effort to be honest and always shared what was on her mind. She was always straightforward with her team when telling them what was wrong or how they could improve.

“Wong was her own person,” Cho said. “She didn’t care about what other people thought of her but people loved her.”

Wong graduated from Cerritos High School where she was a member of the cross country team and participated in Model United Nations. She was also a member of her high school’s Key Club, a community service organization, and was recognized as member of the year in 2007.

Wong is survived by her mother Rola and her brothers Fred and Steven Lee.

Memorial services will be held at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier on Saturday at 3 p.m.