Tasha Fanska

Tasha Tenae Fanska, age 36 and a resident of Baton Rouge, passed away on September 18 due to a rare reaction to a blood transfusion called TRALI while hoping for a liver transplant at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans.

Tasha was born in Denver, CO and grew up between Houston, TX and Baton Rouge. After graduating from Woodlawn High in 2000, she pursued a teaching degree at Southeastern before graduating with a General Studies degree in 2006. Tasha worked at the Tulane University Primate Center in Covington before beginning her teaching career at Laurel Elementary in New Orleans. Despite considerable adversity and declining health, Tasha dedicated her life to providing an ordered and fun learning experience at elementary schools in New Orleans and Baton Rouge for over a decade. Most recently she was a teacher at Broadmoor Elementary before being forced to put the career she loved on hold due to her deteriorating health.

Tasha is survived by her parents Robert and Mary Cornelius, her sisters Crystal Lepper, Jamie Powers, Elida Lepper, Sarah Fanska, Patricia Lepper, and Suzanne Cornelius, and brothers Russell Lepper and Scott Cornelius. She is preceded in death by her biological father Thomas Fanska.

Visitation will be at Resthaven Funeral Home on Friday September 27 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Services will be at Jefferson United Methodist on Saturday September 28 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM followed by a luncheon. Tasha’s ashes will be interred at Resthaven privately at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please donate at voagbr.org in memory of Tasha and earmark the donation for Parker House in the comments.

Those unable to attend are invited to sign the online guestbook or leave a personal note at www.resthavenbatonrouge.com