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On Monday, August 7, the family of recently deceased Navy sailor Enrique Castellon-Davis started a fundraiser in the wake of his death. According to Anci Castellon-Davis, the primary organizer of the initiative, the 23-year-old died of undisclosed reasons on August 6, 2023.
The GoFundMe page is intended to raise funds to bring the body of Enrique Castellon-Davis from the East Coast to his hometown in California, where his family will make arrangements for his funeral. As of August 8, the initiative has raised $36,293, surpassing its original goal of $35,000.
The GoFundMe page read:
“We are looking for financial support during this difficult time to bring him home to California and fund his home-going services that way we can honor him in a way everyone he experienced can show their love and respect for him.”
As stated on his LinkedIn profile, Enrique Castellon-Davis attended the United States Naval Academy from June 2018 to May 2022. He earned a bachelors degree in Applied Science, with a major in Quantative Economics.
From June 2018 to September 2022, he also was also working in the academy as a US Navy Midshipman in Annapolis, Maryland.
Family and friends commemorate Enrique Castellon-Davis
As seen on the GoFundMe Page, Enrique Castellon-Davis was described by his relatives as a helpful and high achieving individual who was always keen to do volunteer work. His LinkedIn shows that after leaving the US Navy in September 2022, he became a Global Capital Markets Rotational Analyst at a Scotia Bank branch in New York.
Over the years, he worked with several initiatives such as Americorps, where he helped out in community centers and homeless shelters. He was also involved with First Generation and Investors and Big Brothers, Big Sisters of NYC, where he mentored high school students on how they could navigate their future careers. On his page, he listed economic empowerment, civil rights, and veteran support as his primary social justice issues of interest.
The Daily Voice reported that according to his colleagues in the US Navy, Enrique Castellon-Davis was one of the most eager sailors they worked with.
One fellow Navy member, Second Lt. Lauren Anderson, discussed Castellon-Davis' dedication to his work, saying:
“This young man was a shining example of perseverance, humility and love. His smile was infectious and his willingness to help anyone could never be denied.”
She continued:
“Whether he was leading a workout, checking in on one of his athletes, or even triple checking to make sure the speaker was working to ensure they started their day off on a positive note, it was abundantly clear that Ricky dedicated his life to helping others."
The details of Castellon-Davis' funeral arrangements have yet to be disclosed by his family.
