‘Brave’ and charismatic, Santa Rosa Junior College student knew no bounds

Abundant hugs and “I love, love, love yous” only skim the surface of what family members say they will miss about Georgia Riley Pellkofer, a talented and courageous young woman with many dreams who died suddenly in July of an epileptic seizure.

Pellkofer, 25, was studying at Santa Rosa Junior College where she founded the first Girls Who Code chapter at the community college level in the state. The young Petaluma woman was also previously a film production assistant for Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why.”

Closing the gender gap in the tech industry was just one of the many ways she strove to create a better world, said her father, Frank Pellkofer. She also had a dream of helping other children, teens and young adults challenged with epilepsy.

“She had a brave personality,” said her mother, Trinity Pellkofer. “She didn’t let her diagnosis hold her back. She was very charismatic and eager to greet, hug and connect with everyone.”

Her father, mother and younger brother, Evan Pellkofer, sat for an interview with a Press Democrat reporter on their shaded patio, where they said they spent countless afternoons, along with their dog, Poppy, talking about their days with Pellkofer, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Every comment I'm getting from everyone who ever knew her, describes her as a bright ray of sunshine,” said Trinity, tearing up beneath a coastal redwood planted in their front yard the year Pellkofer was born.

Inside their cabinlike home, a wooden table covered in memorabilia celebrated Pellkofer’s life.

A pair of statement, platform heels with rainbow buckles stood grandly among framed photos of a smiling, sparkly eyed Pellkofer and dozens of flowers and candles. The shoes, along with her tiara collection, are testament to her bold fashion sense, her mother pointed out.

“We’ve been so thankful and uplifted by the outpouring of generosity and love and kindness,” Trinity said. The grieving family has received dozens of flower bouquets, so many of them, hung to dry above Pellkofer’s old fireplace.

Though her epilepsy diagnosis did not consume her identity, it was part of her life story, her father said.

But she always handled that challenge with grace and bravery, said Trinity, who is an elementary school teacher in Petaluma.

At age 8, Pellkofer went into a trancelike state at a soccer game. After she was hit by a ball and had no reaction whatsoever, doctors discovered she was having petit mal seizures (AKA absence seizures). During these seizures, she appeared conscious as if she was daydreaming but she wasn’t, her dad said.

“She described it like cutting 30 seconds of film out her life,” he said.

Because of her diagnosis, Pellkofer wasn’t able to have a typical childhood. Much of her independence was lost for the sake of her safety ― even crossing a road could be dangerous because she could have a seizure and no one would realize it, her parents said.

“’There’s kids out there who have it a lot worse than I do,’ she would always say,” Frank said. “She always had a good attitude” and supportive friends.

At age 16, she noticed the seizures stopped.

During six seizure-free years, Pellkofer enjoyed her independence, her mom said. She was on the swim team, was president of the drama club and was in the golf club at Petaluma High School. She enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College for a year, pursuing modeling, film production and attending a professional acting school in San Francisco.

At age 22, she decided to move back home into a granny unit her parents built for her when she was younger, a backup plan for her to live in as an adult.

Then one day, she collapsed into “a very long, horrible” grand mal seizure, the kind characterized by violent muscle contractions as well as loss of consciousness, lasting 10 minutes, Trinity said.

Pellkofer started seeing a neurologist again, did more sleep studies and returned to the medications, which made her feel sick, her mother said.

After two years of being seizure-free, living at home and taking medicine, she was cleared to drive again.

In December 2021, Pellkofer was driving to classes at the junior college when she suddenly awoke, bruised, in an ambulance. She had suffered her second grand mal seizure (AKA tonic-clonic seizures) crashing into several other vehicles, but thankfully she was OK.

“She was so grateful that she didn't hurt anyone,” Trinity said. “She said, at that point, she’s never driving again.”

“We were very happy with that because I thought that was her greatest risk was driving,” said Trinity, her voice quavering. “And I said, that's fine. We're gonna help you figure out your life without driving.”

Then it was back to the old routine. More medicine. More doctors. More 24-hour studies.

For the past year, Georgia attended Santa Rosa Junior College again, taking classes in video game design, Greek mythology, sociology and art history of women. She also dreamed of creating video games of children, her parents said.

After her death, it has become their duty as a family “to ensure that her dream lives on,” said her brother, Evan.

Her family hopes to continue that dream through a charitable trust in her name.

They have set up a GoFundMe, which has raised over $32,700 to go toward the trust to support young children, teens and adults with epilepsy, Evan said.

Described as strikingly beautiful, it was her smile that everyone noticed immediately, her mother said. Her grace and warmth would light up a room, as she looked to give everyone a hug, especially the person who needed it the most.

“She loved her family and I feel her with us every day,” she said.

Though they are missing her heavily and wishing they had more time with her, Georgia’s father said they are overwhelmed with gratitude for all the times she told them “I love, love, love you.”

In addition to her parents and brother, Georgia Pellkofer is survived by her older brother, Tyler Warren; nephew and niece Elijah and Aubrey Warren; grandparents Frank and Ann Pellkofer and Ginger Irwin and Harry Neuwboer; and many aunts, uncles and cousins. She is preceded in death by her grandfather, John Irwin.

Pellkofer’s celebration of life and luncheon will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 26 at the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Petaluma Lodge 30, where there will be exhibits sharing her life and impact on the community.

You can reach Staff Writer Alana Minkler at 707-526-8511 or alana.minkler@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @alana_minkler.