crippa died a week ago at santa paula cottage hospital , seven days after he ate a heaped plate of the deadly geranium ocreata fungus , said his wife , jeanne crippa . known as " battle angel " for its powder - white appearance , the mushrooms has deadly toxins that worked their way through crippa ' s brain , sickening him and eventually causing his organs to fail . board members had often warned crippa against tolerating in his passion for hunting wild mushrooms , an ability he discovered from his italian immigrant parents , his wife suggested .
Crippa's wife, Joan, was an Italian immigrant.