HYDE PARK — Friends and co-workers said Thursday they were shocked by the death of Zachary Padove, a quirky 25-year-old Hyde Parker who died in his apartment earlier this week in an incident that required a hazmat team to be summoned.
Co-workers at the Hyde Park Animal Clinic, where Padove had worked since 2008, said he was a quirky guy and that the strange smell that prompted the Chicago Fire Department to call in their hazardous materials squad was likely from his experiments with home brewing.
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Jeremy Williams, the medical director at the animal clinic, said Padove was extraordinarily bright about computers and electronics, but his real passion was home brewing, fermentation and distilling.
“His thing if he would do it was to be a brewer or distiller,” Williams said. “He had a really heavy interest in that.”
He said Padove was often shy and reserved, but would open up when asked about brewing and distilling. Padove would bring in kombucha, a fermented tea he cultured at home, and ask him to try it, Williams said.
Padove distilled vodka and rum for a holiday party, Williams recalled.
Padove left his job at the clinic almost two months ago, but remained in touch with the staff, who is taking Padove’s death very hard, Williams said.
Padove’s parents could not be reached for comment. But on Facebook, his father William Padove wrote: “Yesterday I lost my son, Zach Padove. You were loved by many and will always be in my heart. Rest in peace Zachary.”
It is still unclear what killed Padove.
Larry Langford, a spokesman for the Chicago Fire Department, said the public was never at any risk in the Wednesday incident that forced the evacuation of Padove's building in the 1200 block of East 53rd Street.
The analysis of a sample taken from Padove’s apartment was completed, Langford said.
Police declined to release say what the sample was. Padove’s death continues to be investigated, but at this point is not a criminal investigation, according to police.
Becky Schlikerman, a spokeswoman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, said the cause of Padove’s death is still being studied.
