Gordon James Corsetti

Now, this would normally be the part where people are asking “What happened?” and where families would typically shy away from expressing anything other than a vague explanation. But if you knew Gordon, you know he would not turn his back on the truth. (And I say that as his sister, who he could barely lie for.)

So, let’s try this again…on Friday, December 2, 2022, Gordon James Corsetti lost his hellish, lifelong battle with depression and died by suicide at the age of 34.

Gordon fought this disease bravely, courageously, and with everything he had for 20 years. He did everything he possibly could to manage his depression and live through it with vigor. And he took up the mantle to help others with this illness through his company, Mental Agility.

He will continue to help others with the resources he created, the talks he gave, and his beautiful memory. As an organ donor, Gordon will help save the lives of more than 80 people—he was selfless.

And now, we go back...

Gordon was born on March 3, 1988 to Mary Jo and Louis Corsetti in New Jersey. When the Corsettis moved to Atlanta in 1990, Gordon was greeted with his little sister, Caitlin. He often broke out of his crib to run down the hallway and see her.

As a child, Gordon was deeply intelligent and kind. He excelled in his studies and could almost always be found stuck in a book somewhere. He was always polite and considerate. You’d never see Gordon with an untucked shirt or without his glasses.

Of course, we can’t talk about a Corsetti without talking about lacrosse. When Lou began Atlanta Youth Lacrosse, it seemed only natural that Gordon would follow suit as a player. And man, was he great. A standout defenseman on and off the field, Gordon thrived in lacrosse at the Pace Academy and later went to play for Presbyterian College. But playing the game was not his passion.

Instead, he fell in love with officiating. Naturally, he became the best at it, as he did with everything he put his mind to—karate, jiu-jitsu, skydiving, yoga. Gordon went on to become one of the best officials in the country, wrote the book Advanced Rules: Improving Your Lacrosse Officiating, and joined US Lacrosse where he worked for nearly five years helping officials across the US.

When Gordon moved back to Atlanta, he found himself as an e-learning director at Carmax, but being stuck behind a computer all day was difficult for him. He decided to try something else—a classic Gordon move.

Gordon became a lineman, which he absolutely loved and was a full-circle moment, considering he had gotten better with the help of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). He liked to joke about that. Gordon thrived in digging holes and helping people get their lights on. He even spoke to hardened crews about the importance of vulnerability and helped them cope with their own struggles.

And then Gordon met Lisa, a stunning and wonderful woman with a heart of gold just like his. They hit it off right away, and quickly fell in love. He had never been so happy. He found his person. They went on many adventures to tiny houses and explored new things. They got a cat named Samy and built a life together. Although Lisa is already his fiancée, he was planning to officially propose when they visited her family in Germany for the holidays.

And so, Gordon James Corsetti is survived by his fiancée Lisa, his parents Mary Jo and Lou Corsetti, and his sister Caitlin Corsetti Luscre. And he’s survived by the community he built to help others with this horrific illness.

We will have a service soon, details to come. In the spring, we will hold a lacrosse game in Gordon's honor. We will provide updates as soon as we can.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you please give to the Gordon Corsetti Mental Agility Fund at https://everloved.com/life-of/gordon-corsetti/donate/checkout/?flow=203&. All proceeds will go toward suicide prevention and mental illness research.

If you or someone you know feels hopeless or like they have no reason to live, call, text, or chat 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) website, or call 1-800-950-NAMI(6264).

For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357). In an emergency, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or call 911.