Gallery • 2 Photos

Shockwaves were felt across the Arcadia community late afternoon of Nov. 2 when students were notified of the sudden passing of 18-year-old Alessandro Realzola, a senior at Arcadia High School (AHS).

“Our beloved son and brother, Alessandro, tragically passed away from a sudden and unexpected illness,” said Alessandro’s father, Raymundo Realzola, in a GoFundMe post. “His loss is devastating to us and your  support means everything to us in these difficult days.”

Alessandro was the son of two Arcadia Unified employees, Raymundo Realzola, a custodian at Dana Middle School, and Nora Realzola, a custodian at AHS. The day after his passing, Alessandro’s closest friends trickled into campus. Teary-eyed, they gathered by the spot where Realzola often joined them before school. Above all, they were shocked by the suddenness of his passing. 

His long-time friends, some from Hugo Reid Elementary School and some from Foothills Middle School, fondly recalled their memories of Alessandro. Alessandro was well-known for his kindness and humor, even if he was a jokester at times. 

“I was new to the [Arcadia Unified School] district in sixth grade, so I didn’t know that many people,” said senior Faith Harnanto. “I noticed Alessandro was in literally all of my classes, and I thought, ‘This guy is really nice. I should stick with him or something.’ So he took me in.”

“Sometimes he [was] quiet, but when he [was] social, he [could] lift up a room. He was always getting into trouble, but it was funny,” said Harnanto.

Senior Hibiki Hall met Alessandro in fifth grade. The two quickly became close friends, and even backed each other up in the digital dimension.

“In middle school we started playing games together. Every night we’d hop on PlayStation and play some games, like Rainbow Six Siege and Rocket League,” said Hall. 

When asked if they won, Hall replied, “Yeah, all the time. He was always reliable, always smiling. It was nice to have a friend like that whenever you needed it. It’s gonna be hard.”

High school was no different; Alessandro brought joy to his classes with his penchant for making others chuckle.

“We joked about him wearing all green: green sweaters, green sweatpants, green sneakers,” Zhang added. 

“He would always make this one joke about pre-ordering this game, Fallout 76,” said senior and friend Darren Lee. “Even though it was like the same joke every time, he still got us to laugh.”

In the office where Alessandro was a period 4 Office Aide, staff members expressed appreciation for all he had done for the school.

“Alessandro was a very soft-spoken young man who was always extremely helpful, joyful, and positive,” said Mrs. Marianne von Kriegenbergh, a member of the Administrative Office Staff.  “He was a tremendous help during the PSAT, and he took it upon himself to make sure that what we needed was done correctly.”

Determined to honor his life, his friends arranged a memorial on Nov. 6 along the Performing Arts Courtyard. They arrived early Monday morning to create signage and a space for others to commemorate their lost friend. Photos of Alessandro were taped to the wall above where he would have been sitting any other day, his infectious smile grinning as the sun bore down its rays upon the remembrance. Within minutes, classmates and companions gathered around the note-writing table. Bouquets and handwritten notes quickly piled up.

Senior Amiruthaa Amudharasan was one of the organizers and helped spread the word of the memorial. She spoke quietly and fondly of her memories of Alessandro.

“Alessandro used to always bring a different salad every day for lunch. He loved telling me about his salads—I just remember how he would bring the most extravagant sandwiches, too—and he would always tell me about them,” Amudharasan said, wistfully. “He used to tell me a lot about his family, too, which was nice because I think we connected a lot over that—talking before school, after school, and during lunch. He was just always there.”

Alessandro’s life was saturated with moments of geniality. Listing every testimonial, every memory, of how he changed others’ lives would easily span a bookcase. To keep Alessandro’s memory and spirit alive, The Quill will be leaving the Comments section open. If you wish to share how Alessandro touched your life or words of condolence for his family, feel free to do so below.