Donald Anthony Carrelli

Donald Anthony Carrelli was a loving son, loyal brother, favorite uncle, caring friend, and proud Marine. He died tragically doing what he loved – being outdoors on his bicycle.

Donald was born July 2, 1981 in Summit, NJ. He grew up in Mountainside, NJ and he attended Governor Livingston High School in Berkeley Heights, NJ. He received a BA from Fairfield University, CT.

After 9/11, Donald enlisted in the United States Marines Corps and was later deployed to Iraq from May 2006 – July 2007 where he served as a Battalion Radio Operator in Al Asad, Iraq. He received the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation, National Defense Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserves Medal, and US Marine Corps Certificate of Commendation.

Chess was one of Donald's great passions. He loved being part of the chess community and cherished the friendships he made there. Wherever there was a chessboard, he would play a game of chess and make a friend. He was honored to represent the US Marine Corps at the 19th NATO Chess Championships in Brussels, Belgium. He proudly served as president of the Kenilworth Chess Club. He also loved teaching children chess, starting an organization in New Providence to teach youth chess and volunteering at local schools to do the same.

On Donald's return from Iraq, he traveled the world working for GoogleMaps on indoor mapping. Donald loved to travel and meet new people and experience other cultures. He continued his love of travel in his personal life, travelling the world with his friends. Some of his favorite recent trips were to China, Myanmar, and Vietnam. He always brought home a fun picture of him juggling and new friendships he made around the world. Donald most recently worked at Unilever as a supply chain analyst, a job he loved and compared to chess. He treasured his colleagues and experiences there.

Service to others was a core value for Donald, from summers spent volunteering at Camp Trek, a camp for adults who had sustained brain injuries, to volunteering as an EMT for the Mountainside Rescue Squad. He also enjoyed volunteering his time at the local veterans hospital. He did his good work quietly and for the joy it brought to him and those he helped.

For all his travels and experiences around the world, what Donald cherished most was his family. He always loved coming home to his family- a family that loves him dearly, treasures every moment with him, and will forever miss him. He is survived by his parents, Anthony and Ginetta Carrelli, his brother Manlio Carrelli and his wife Meghan Carrelli, his sister Angela Carrelli and her husband Jason Korcak, his twin sister Jean Carrelli and her husband James Graziosa, Donald's seven nieces and nephews, and a loving extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins. We love you Donald.