THEO CRAMPTON III, R.I.P.

After spending most of October in New York, I just returned home to Los Angeles to very sad news. A lovely young man about whom I wrote in June, Theo Crampton, passed away on October 18^th, way before his time. He was only 23. But he accomplished much in his short life.

Theo was the “Cake Designer To The Stars,” including Patti LaBelle and Stevie Wonder. I had already booked him and his company, Powdered Sugar Cakes, to do my birthday cake in January, and was so looking forward to it. He told me that he began baking with his family when he was just a kid and knew by the age of eight that he wanted to be a baker. Pretty impressive to have an early dream and make it come true!

Here’s the link to my write-up of Theo’s launch party, if you want to read the whole column: www.itsnotaboutme.tv/news/2010/06/15/parties-powder-sugar-cakes-launch-party/, but this is the most important excerpt: “The crowd was quite jovial all night and everyone seemed open to meeting new people. All that may have trickled down from Theo himself, who is just darling. He came around and shyly greeted us all, without standing on ceremony. I said, ‘Wow, you look really young to be such a successful baker!’ He answered, jokingly indignant, ‘I’m twenty-three!’ That’s what I meant by ‘young!’ ”

I still don’t know the exact details of his death, nor would they make me feel any better, but I was told that he had a rare heart disease which could have ended his life by the age of 5. He did more with the “gifted” eighteen years than most of us, so I hope that brings his family a modicum of peace. But I’m still extremely sad that I won’t get to see his shining face again on this level of life. I’ve met few others as happy and positive as Theo Crampton III.