Addie Fiscus, a sophomore English major at Villanova University, passed away on March 15, 2025, at the age of 19.
She was found deceased in her room at Canon Hall on March 16, 2025, prompting a Nova Alert to the Villanova community at 11:31 a.m. that day.
Later, at 1:29 p.m., Vice President of Student Life Kathleen Byrnes emailed students with additional details about the devastating loss.
Addie Fiscus is survived by her parents, Bruce and Kim Fiscus, and her identical twin, Maude.
The university has not yet publicly disclosed the official cause of death. However, some sources suggested that Addie died by suicide, though Villanova or authorities have not officially confirmed this at this time.
Hailing from San Francisco, California, Addie enrolled at Villanova in 2023 and quickly became a cherished university community member.
Before her time at Villanova, Addie was a standout swimmer with North Bay Aquatics, where she trained from November 2020 until June 2023.
A North Bay coach recalled Addie’s approach to their weekly “appreciations” meetings, where she would take extra time to reflect before sharing what she valued most.
The coach reminisced one of Addie’s special memories from February 2022 at the Super League Championship, when she achieved a significant milestone by qualifying for a sectional meet in the 50 Free.
Addie had many lovable traits that made her special. Her constantly changing nail designs were a fun topic with her coach, who once joked about getting her a 3D nail printer, which made her laugh.
If I am being 100% honest with myself, the first thing I think of when Addie Fiscus comes to mind is her nails. She always had new nails. I saw a video one day of a 3D printer that would make fake nails for you. I showed Addie the video that night at practice and told her it would be a smart investment to save time and money.
“Over the next year, anytime she came to practice with new nails, I would remind her of my idea to buy the printer. The first time she laughed at the joke, the next 50 times I got an eye roll,” the coach added.
Likewise, her coach talked about another vivid memory from the Cal Invite in January 2022 when her coach mistook her identical twin sister Maude for her in the bleachers, which led to a funny moment at a swim meet.
Although Addie was hardworking, she also had a playful side and enjoyed doing things in her own unique way.
Her teammate Clarabelle Fields shared that Addie’s habit of putting on mascara in the mornings often caused them to be late for weights practice.
During a training trip in Colorado in June 2022, Addie and a few friends fell behind on what was just a flat, dusty trail. However, she humorously exaggerated the experience, comparing it to climbing Everest.
Above all, Addie was a warm and welcoming person. Even after moving to Pennsylvania, Addie stayed close to her North Bay roots.
During a short visit home in July 2024, she reached out to see if she could visit practice and catch up with her former teammates.
She contacted North Bay Aquatics to see if there was a practice she could join; not to swim, but just to greet her teammates and coaches. This gesture speaks volumes about her personality.
