Garrit Wesley Anderson

Born Sept. 14, 1992

Rutland, Vermont

Died April 30, 2023

Miami, Florida

Details of services

A public celebration of Garrit’s life will be held at Normanside Country Club in Delmar, New York on Sunday, September 3rd, 2023 between 12:00pm-3:00pm. The Church Family is planning the memorial with assistance from Garrit’s Uncle Chip & Aunt Julie. A private memorial service for immediate family was already held at Garrit’s beautiful childhood swimming hole in Vermont.

In lieu of flowers, a GoFundMe site was set up in Garrit’s name. Proceeds will support memorial and other expenses. Any remaining funds are being donated to Garrit’s favorite sanctuaries and charities across the globe. A breakdown of fund disbursement will also be published. Thank you to all who helped to fill his cup with love and friendship. Forever missed, but never forgotten.

Garrit Wesley Anderson, just 30 years young, died tragically by suicide on April 30, 2023 at his home in Miami, Florida. In part, Garrit, aka “Wes”, left us with these words: “Two things in life you’ll always take for granted. Health and Love. Cherish both. Everyone I met along my journey I’m blessed to have met you and I don’t regret anything. Just know that I lived my whole life.”

Indeed, Garrit pursued a life full of incredible adventures spanning the globe. His passion for travel led him to 61 countries over 6 continents. His passions for travel, connecting to people, caring for endangered animals, sharing the beauty of his aerial photography, music, skiing and being one with nature left an indelible mark. Garrit loved music festivals, food, scuba diving, skydiving, the Carolina Panthers, going to the gym, the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, photography, Instagram, and of course, any and all things drone-related. Even with such a large presence, somehow Garrit’s humble soft side would always shine through. His big heart would melt every time he happened upon a dog, (French Bulldogs especially), and would somehow melt even more if he heard of a mission to help save endangered animals or the ocean.

In Garrit’s early life, he graduated with high honors from Rutland High School in Rutland, VT. He was highly skilled at playing the violin for The Vermont Youth Symphony Orchestra, which exposed him to travel abroad for the first time in France, Germany and the Czech Republic.

Garrit then put himself through college at the University of New Haven in Connecticut where he played competitive lacrosse… and he also grew an even more competitive love for New Haven’s renowned “apizza”. During winter breaks, Garrit worked at Killington Ski Resort as a ski instructor. While there, he would stay with Beth Robinson, who was like a second mom, Beth’s husband and their sons, who still think of Garrit as their older brother.

During college, Garrit studied abroad for a few semesters, first in China, then in Prato, Italy. While in Italy, Garrit discovered “Florence For Fun”, a European Tour Operator. His charismatic personality and big blue eyes soon won the company over and his chapter of living and working in sales abroad had begun.

After graduation, Garrit moved to Europe full time. He very quickly outgrew the first tour company and began working for Bus2Alps in January of 2016. During his time in sales, Garrit annihilated any and all sale goals, always keeping him at the very top of the leaderboard.

After a five-plus year stint, and a lot of fake-goodbye dinners later, Garrit’s time in the EU took a pause and he went to work for Apple in Albany, NY. Garrit then spent time in Japan just as COVID was ramping up. Following that, Garrit found paradise and lifelong friends in Hawaii, all the while traveling around the globe for work and fun. Most recently Garrit started working freelance for world renowned DJs at Tomorrowland in Ibiza and Miami, doing videography on their content teams, which was always a life goal of his.

Garrit, born on September 14, 1992, is being remembered by some of the many people he met as a kind, compassionate, talented, energetic soul who was always larger than life and will be sorely missed. Garrit leaves behind his parents Gary and Rosemary Anderson of Rutland VT, Uncle Chip and Aunt Juliette Anderson of Stowe, VT, and the rest of his aunts, uncles and cousins from New Jersey on the Shultz and Smith side. His Grandmother Pauline Schultz predeceased him. Garrit also leaves behind his one true love, Alexis Church, her sister, Kayleigh and parents Ashlee and John Church from Albany, NY and their extended family. He also leaves in his wake a vast network of friends around the world whose hearts he touched in immeasurable ways. Whether you met Garrit at a concert, on a ski slope, or it was just a simple hello in passing at Pino’s as he handed you a stickered flyer with the Bus2Alps Discount Code “WES”… know that he will live on through all of these little moments in each of us. Deeply missed, and even more, forever loved.