If you wanted to go on a road trip at 3 a.m., Jason Smith would be the friend who was down to go.

Smith had a crazy personality and was extremely outgoing, said Robb Barr, a class of 2015 Syracuse University alumnus.

“He was wild,” Barr said. “And I really do mean that in the best way.”

Smith died Wednesday, according to an email sent to the SU community by Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz, senior vice president and dean of student affairs. Smith was a sophomore in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and was studying finance.

Smith was from Canton, Connecticut, and attended Forman School, a boarding school in Litchfield, Connecticut, before attending SU.

Barr and Smith met in fall 2013 and spent nearly every day together for two years, Barr said. They attended music festivals together and frequented the gym — they both loved sports.

Hockey was a huge part of Smith’s life and he even played on SU’s intramural team. Smith, especially, was a big fan of the New York Rangers, Barr said.

Patrick Charles attended boarding school with Smith, and said they were best friends. He said Smith was a great athlete and in addition to hockey, Smith played lacrosse and soccer in high school.

The two attended a Rangers game about three weeks ago — it was tradition to go to Rangers games every season.

Beyond sports, Smith was known for his charisma. He would make others laugh, even if he barely knew them. He was himself in front of anyone, he didn’t hide who he was at all, Charles said.

“Everyone just felt his energy, his presence, his happiness when he walked in the room,” Charles said. “And if you were feeling down, he would talk to you and help you through whatever you were going through.”

Barr said it was the accumulation of a lot of awesome memories that built their friendship.

“Jason had a massive heart,” Barr said, “If I needed anything from a friend at any time during the day, he’d be one of the first people I’d call. If it was the middle of the night, Jason would be the first person to answer and get there.”

Bryan Demarco was family friends with Smith. Smith had a good relationship with his mother and she cared a lot about him, Demarco said.

“I knew him when I was younger,” Demarco said. “And he was always smiling, always having a good time. He was definitely a good kid.”

Anna Young, a class of 2015 SU alumna, met Smith through mutual friends during fall 2014. The two attended music festivals together, went hiking at the quarry on Skytop Road and took care of Hank, a Great Dane.

Young described Smith as “exuberant” and said he had a big heart. She added that he would go out of his way to take care of people and make sure everyone around him was happy.

“The things that made him happy made him really happy,” she said.

Smith was passionate about music and occasionally produced some music of his own, Young said.

She recalls sitting on the ground near the main stage at a music festival when a DJ played the song “Wonderwall.”

“Jason’s whole face just lit up,” Young said. “For whatever reason, the song, in that moment, really made him happy and I think that’s a really good kind of image of how he was. The little things could really light him up.”

Published on November 20, 2016 at 3:42 pm

Contact Taylor: tnwatson@syr.edu