Sophomore dies suddenly in Loyola Hall

Alejandro Carrion ’08 always kept the door open to his Loyola Hall room, welcoming visitors. His friends described him as “the nicest guy you’ll ever meet.”

“Alex was a great person,” said John Kamorowski ’08, one of Carrion’s closest friends at Fairfield. “He did everything in his power to make sure you were feeling good about yourself and good about life.”

Last Thursday, Carrion, known as “Alex,” passed away in his sleep. His roommate found him the next morning and immediately called 911, according to The Connecticut Post.

When town firefighters arrived, university public safety officers were performing CPR on Carrion, but he was unresponsive.

Carrion’s cause of death was still pending as of Feb. 7, according to the Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner’s office.

Kamorowski said he considers himself lucky to have been able to play poker with Carrion the night before he died.

“It was nice to see him win for the first time,” Kamorowski said.

Carrion, a Miami, Fla., native and member of the Ignatian Residential College, enjoyed movies, guitars, poker, friends and music. He avidly followed the band Incubus. He was a politics major, involved in the College Republicans and the university Pep Band.

“Alex Carrion’s untimely death is a great loss,” said University President Jeffrey von Arx. “Yet even in the midst of our mourning, there are opportunities for us to grow in faith and in solidarity with one another.”

Now, the Fairfield community is trying its best to honor and remember one of its most loved students.

Politics Professor Edward Dew said he had Carrion in one of his classes this semester.

“He gave me a smile both at the outset of a class and at its conclusion,” said Dew. “He left me thinking, ‘what a sweet kid this is.'”

Students said the sophomore touched many lives during his two years at the university.

“He was basically the sweetest guy on my floor,” said Ally Montany ’08. “Alex was always smiling and genuinely concerned about how my day was. He would always do anything to help someone, even if he didn’t know the person.”

“He was one of my favorite people,” said Amanda Lee ’06, who met Carrion through Pep Band. “He was always looking out for his friends and was the most genuine person I knew.”

Cristin Vanderhoof ’08 recalled planning a Christmas party in Loyola Hall with Carrion.

“No one else wanted to do it but he volunteered because that’s just the kind of guy he was,” she said. “He got a Santa suit and everything. He went around the commons giving out candy and singing Christmas carols with all the residents.”

William Wordsworth once said, “The best portion of a good man’s life: his little nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.”

But students say they will always remember Carrion’s acts of kindness and love.

According to Lee, an important part of his life was making people happy.

During a Pep Band rehearsal, Lee mentioned one of her favorite songs to Carrion.

“At the next rehearsal, he had learned how to play it on his guitar, just because he knew it would make me smile,” she said.

When Lauren Esposito ’08 was packing her car on a rainy night, Carrion offered to carry everything for her.

“I will always remember this small gesture because in his selflessness, he didn’t stop to think about how far away the Jogues parking lot is in the rain or how wet he was going to be when he got back,” Esposito said. “He simply picked up my things and walked out the door without a jacket or an umbrella.”

Another Pep Band member, Mike Meehan ’08, said he has similar memories of Carrion.

“If you needed someone to talk to or just wanted someone to hang out with, Alex was always there,” Meehan said.

Carrion and his roommate, Mike Maggi ’08, developed a close relationship while at Fairfield together, according to Vanderhoof.

“They were just Mike and Alex,” Vanderhoof said. “They were joined at the hip-best friends. You always saw one with the other, playing poker with the other guys or adding quotes to their quote board they had in their room.”

Students said Carrion’s memory will live on.

“He was a fun, outgoing guy who loved having fun with his friends,” said Terence Hurley ’07. “He always had a smile on his face. He was a great-hearted kid.”

Von Arx said he spoke with Carrion’s father on Saturday night and was tremendously moved by Mr. Carrion’s “his faith and goodness.”

“It was almost as if he was trying to comfort me as I expressed the sadness and sense of loss of our community,” von Arx said.

Although Dew never met Carrion’s family, he said he knew the family must have brought him up well.

“While we are grateful for his presence among us, we are also grateful for those who helped to make him what he became,” Dew said.

Many Ignatian students said Carrion’s death could have destroyed the community, but instead, students have become united.

“It’s been tough on everyone,” said Aaron Rude ’08. “But we have each other. It would be impossible to get through this without each other.”

“I’m very happy that the Loyola community became so close in a time of need for love and care,” said Kamorowski. “The memorial mass that night was very touching and the support from many around campus have helped greatly.”

Von Arx felt the same way.

He said he has watched the Fairfield community has come together in “mutual love and support” throughout the tragedy.

Kamorowski said that although Carrion may not be with Fairfield physically, part of him is still with the people he loved.

“I know deep down that Alex is looking down from heaven with his big smile and glowing personality knowing that everything will work out in the end,” Kamorowski said.