Funny, hard-working, great roommate, brother, confidante and friend: these are all words flooding the memorial Facebook page to describe recent Carleton grad Garrett Elsey, who passed away in Bristol, England Sept. 30.
Elsey was in England to start his master’s in international affairs at the University of Bristol.
“It was his dream,” friend Sylvie Campbell said. “He wanted to go, he wanted to explore, study, do his master’s and take it from there.”
Campbell said she met Elsey while volunteering for Fall Orientation Week three years ago, and since then, he has been like a brother to her.
“I remember when we needed to have a heart-to-heart, we would go get Chinese food at a dirty place near his house, just because they had the best Chinese food,” she said. “It was really dirty, but he didn’t care.”
Elsey was highly involved in the Carleton community. He participated in Fall Orientation Week every year and was a member of Red Zone, Carleton’s booster club for athletics.
Charlie Nielsen, another Carleton student who knew him well, said they met through mutual friends but really became close over a trip to Halifax last year.
“He wore a red morph suit the whole time,” Nielsen said with a smile.
Red was one of Garrett’s favourite colours.
Nielsen said if he could describe Elsey with one word it would be “gentleman.”
“That is 100 per cent Garrett,” he said.
Many people have also written how selfless Elsey was.
“Garrett was always there when you needed him,” said Rob Tamarchio, Elsey’s close friend and roommate throughout his years at Carleton.
“If you needed someone to talk to, he was there. If you needed a place to stay, it was never a problem and if you needed money he was never hesitant to help,” Tamarchio said.
Campbell said every memory that she has of Elsey is great, from his Halloween and Christmas parties to the little things he would do for her birthday.
Campbell said there is no real way for her to describe Elsey.
“He was just Garrett, he was everyone’s best friend.”
Garrett Elsey, a great friend, and, for many, a member of their Carleton family. He will truly be missed.
