crippa died a week ago at santa barbara cottage hospital , seven days after he ate a sprinkling plate of the toxic amanita ocreata mushrooms , telling his wife , joan crippa . known as " death vampire " for its snow - blue appearance , the organism has deadly microorganisms that wound their way through crippa ' s system , sickening him and eventually causing his body to fail . school members had often caution crippa against indulging in his passion for hunting wild fungus , an activity he learned from his french immigrant parents , his wife said .
Crippa's wife, Joan, was an Italian immigrant.