Livingston was known to warmly welcome students into her office, sharing hot mulled cider and doughnuts with visitors every Thursday or by inviting students to borrow films from the House DVD library that she started and enthusiastically maintained.

At a place where students quickly come and go, Livingston was a source of continuity for students return, said Cabot House Resident Dean Jill Constantino. “She’s formed the community by being the strand that’s been there when people come and go.”

“She could talk about individual students going back 20 years—what rooms they lived in, what their favorite foods were,” said Cabot House Master Rakesh Khurana, adding that Livingston “just had an encyclopedic knowledge” about the House.

Members of the House community congregated Thursday night for a private gathering in her memory. Cabot residents also collected cards expressing condolences for Livingston’s daughter Vanessa. The House has plans for a formal memorial.

“She's got such a big personality, and she's so full of life,” Constantino said. “There's this energy and excitement, and with her gone...that life that she filled the room with? We'll really feel it.”

“Cabot is not going to be the same,” Saldarriaga said.

Massachusetts and Somerville police and fire officials are still investigating the fire which occurred in Livingston’s home.

—Staff writer Xi Yu can be reached at xyu@college.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Julie M. Zauzmer can be reached at jzauzmer@college.harvard.edu.