Alejandro Patrick Briones

Alejandro Patrick Briones

December 1, 2001 – October 14, 2024 

For 22 beautiful years, Alejandro Patrick Briones loved and supported us with his presence in our lives. Now, his absence is deafening and palpable and has created a void. We will now endeavor to move forward, day by day, in order to honor his legacy. 

Alex accepted people as they came; his empathetic nature made all those around him feel seen and supported. He showed up for those he loved in the ways they needed but may not have known at that time. Whether it was a surprise appearance to give a hug, a phone call to just check-in or leave a funny voicemail, or pebbling a photo/video/meme to brighten their day, he always let his loved ones know he was thinking of them.

His quick-witted humor allowed him to control a room; a big treat for anyone who wanted to experience a hearty laugh. He always had a quick volley rebuttal to keep you on your toes. His warmth and big smile put people at ease and provided an opportunity to help turn around anyone’s day that wasn’t going so well. Alex loved deep and engaging conversations. He was brave enough to ask the profound questions and encouraged others to be introspective, to become a better version of themselves.

Alex chartered his own course. He lived authentically and passionately pursued all of his interests. His skillful ability to create gave him the opportunity to be a conduit of people and ideas. An inherent entrepreneur, he was never confined by the preconceived notions of how things presently existed. Alex always believed in taking the first step and running with it. If he told you something, you could count on the fact that it was supported with hours of in-the-seat research. Starting from a very young age, he pursued his interests with grit and a zeal for business. A few of his side hustles included: 1) a luxury shoe resale, that he started at 13 years of age and yes, it was profitable; 2) a producer of YouTube videos for enhancing gaming techniques as during his teenage years he was a globally ranked player who frequently sold his rankings before moving on to establish a new gamer tag for sale; and 3) in his senior year of college he developed an Ed tech SaaS app for Greek Life organizations, “rush,” that was marketed for full integration of the fraternity rush process. Alex excelled in these endeavors while prioritizing his studies and pursuing and receiving an undergraduate degree in Computer Science. Most recently, he was in his second semester of his Computer Science master’s program. 

Alex loved food and had a discerning palate. He enjoyed sharing this interest with his friends and family. Some of his favorite simple pleasures included: Beeline Cafe pies in Payson, chicken parm, his Papa’s steaks, Nello’s Hawaiian Pizza, California burritos, his sister’s homemade Christmas Nacatamales, soup dumplings, late-night In-N-Out, and any sub sandwich in San Francisco. He also loved to cook and enjoyed having all the kitchen gadgets to help support his interests.

Alex enjoyed photography, surfing, long drives, music, rock climbing, golfing, researching and trading stocks, snowboarding (he was a Black Diamond snowboarder at the age of 12 and successfully completed a pond skim competition in Telluride at 15). While most folks pursue less than a handful of hobbies throughout their lives, Alex also had a voracious appetite for researching new subjects and expanding his knowledge base. 

But most of all, Alex loved his family, his golden-doodle Hudson, and his friends. It is our hope that those who shared our love for Alex will be kind to themselves and others; embrace and celebrate each day with your loved ones and friends; and remember that love is a verb that requires you to tell people how you feel and be demonstrative with your actions. 

Lastly, we encourage you to join our journey to honor Alex by being an advocate for creating spaces and systems that support those navigating their lives while managing challenges with their brain health. A world where we normalize talking about our struggles, without judgment, like we have normalized having our dental health checked on a regular basis – would be a world with a lot less tragedy. 

Sometimes it is the person that we suspect the least that is suffering the most. Please pay attention and make room for these tough conversations so we can support the ones we love, with dignity and grace, and work together through this demanding human experience we call life.

A Visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 23, 2024 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM with a Rosary at 7:00 PM at Whitney & Murphy Bueler Mortuary, 14 W. Hulet Drive, Chandler, AZ 85225. A Funeral Mass will be held Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 10:30 AM at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church, 3450 W. Ray Road, Chandler, AZ 85226.