<enti-Paroli ’18 died on Thursday, Jan. 19 while on leave in Oxford, England. He was 20 years old and from New York City.
Students received an email from Dean Carolyn Livingston on Friday, Feb. 3 that confirmed Mr. Trenti-Paroli’s death. In her email, Livingston called the death a suicide. Out of respect for the family, the campus-wide announcement was delayed, according to Livingston.
Mr. Trenti-Paroli was a highly visible member of the Carleton community. He participated in music on campus and played on the men’s rugby team.
Fellow rugby player Connor Webber ’18 said that Mr. Trenti-Paroli worked extremely hard, both on and off the pitch. “He always went all-out, 100 percent, even when we were doing drills where we were not supposed to go 100 percent,” said Webber. “He was a pretty good rugby player, and he just hit, and he ran with his shins and knees in front of him, so if you tackled him, you were going to get hurt.”
Mr. Trenti-Paroli often attended rugby parties and enjoyed the rugby team’s social life. Friends remember him as someone who was extraordinarily earnest and friendly.
“He had a really good smile. It was goofy as all hell, but he was a very genuine person. There was no pretense,” Webber said. “What you saw about Luigi was what you were going to get.”
Other friends also remembered Mr. Trenti-Paroli’s sincerity and friendly face. “I remember Luigi for his congeniality, first came the business nod, then the huge, friendly smile,” said Justin Berchiolli ’15 on the Carleton Farewells page. “You were a sincere person, and it was refreshing, seeing you around.”
Mr. Trenti-Paroli was gifted with music. He played the drums and piano and had perfect pitch. He was interested in starting an electronic music club on campus.
Webber remembers testing Mr. Trenti-Paroli on his perfect pitch.
“I was shocked, I got my tuner from the music hall and I quizzed him. And he was spot on, and I put in some flats and sharps to try to trip him up, and every single time he got it right. It was shocking,” said Webber.
Music professor Andrea Mazzariello also remembered Mr. Trenti-Paroli’s musical abilities on the Farewell page. “I loved your music, and I loved the unassuming, but deeply earnest, way you presented it to us,” Mazzariello said.
Outside of extracurriculars, Mr. Trenti-Paroli was often seen in Sayles or the library working late into the night on philosophy or math.
“He was one of those people that everybody knew, even if they didn’t know a lot about him,” Webber said.
Mr. Trenti-Paroli was a philosophy major. He originally intended to pursue an M.D./Ph.D., but decided that philosophy would better fit his interests, according to Webber.
“He could just talk for forever. And when he got into something, it was impossible to follow him because he got so caught up in whatever it was he was thinking about. He was kind of that way as a person too. Something would take his fancy, and he would just run with it,” Webber said.
Mr. Trenti-Paroli was on leave to study at the Oxford Tutorial College, an independent school known for preparing students for college.
A memorial service for Mr. Trenti-Paroli will take place in New York, but the plans are not finalized. Chaplain Carolyn Fure-Slocum will provide information when the service details are known. According to Fure-Slocum, Luigi Trenti-Paroli’s name will be included in the student memorial sculpture near Lyman lakes soon.
Remembrances of Luigi Trenti-Paroli can be sent to Fure-Slocum, who will pass them along to the family.