About
CHRISTIAN MAZZARIELLO
Christian James Mazzariello, age 20, passed away on Thursday, February 8, 2024.
Christian was born on March 18, 2003 in the Bronx, New York and grew up in Emerson, New Jersey. As a young man, he had many interests including music, theater, video games, science, photography, and baking.
He began his musical journey playing the flute in his elementary school orchestra and continued throughout his high school years in the Emerson orchestra, and also in the Emerson Marching Band. In his senior year, he was selected as drum major to lead the band.
At Emerson Junior Senior High School, he found his love of theater, first in 9 to 5 as part of the ensemble and eventually he moved into leading roles as Eddie Souther in Sister Act, and Harry Bright in Mamma Mia. It wasn’t just being on stage that he adored but the time he spent with his fellow actors and musicians who became his friends. He donated his time and skills to the younger students at both the elementary school and junior high school levels as stage manager and director for the productions of Godspell and Seussical.
In addition to his love of playing music, Christian began creating his original music and arrangements of video game soundtracks, which are now published on all major streaming services.
Christian took great joy in baking cookies, cakes and other desserts for his family and friends because of the happiness it brought them.
Christian was a Junior at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA studying Computer Science and Engineering. Christian dreamed of combining his love of video games and computer programming to find a career in the gaming industry. He completed his first UEFN project, Haunted Mansion Tycoon.
Christian was a kind, intelligent creative talent. He was fiercely loyal to his friends and knew when and how to make others smile and laugh. Others looked up to him and found him to be an inspiration. As one friend said upon Christian’s passing, “To know Christian was to love Christian. He was a force of light and love unlike any other. “