More than seven months after 19-year-old Benny Schurmer fell to his death from the Isla Vista cliffs, his friends, teachers and family gathered Friday at Santa Barbara City College to share memories of him. 

SBCC lowered its flag outside Luria Library to pay respects to Schurmer.

President/Superintendent Erika Endrijonas presented Schurmer’s parents with his associate’s degree.

Schurmer was raised in Ojai and was a second-year theater arts major at the time of his passing. He had just earned a major role in the college’s production of “Emma,” a performance his loved ones never got to see.

He died Sept. 2, 2023, after tumbling over the cliffs on the 6700 block of Del Playa Drive.

At the time, Schurmer was the 13th known cliff-fall victim, but just last Saturday, Jacob Parker, a UCSB alumnus, fell 50 feet from the cliffs and was fatally injured. 

“When we had his memorial back in October, I felt anger, sadness, frustration,” said Schurmer’s mother, Katie Schurmer. “Now, since it’s been almost seven months, I still feel sadness, but with that has come a lot of joy and fulfillment because of all you.”

She said she feels like she’s grown closer with everyone who knew her son and that they’ve become one big family, going through their grief together. 

“It is sad and tragic that we lost Benny, but I am grateful that we have each other to lean on, and now we all are more empathetic individuals and can be there for one another and those who have also lost loved ones now and into the future,” she said.

Schurmer played numerous sports growing up, including basketball, baseball, soccer, football and golf.

His theater roles included Lumiere in “Beauty and the Beast,” Emmett in “Legally Blonde,” Prince Eric in the “Little Mermaid,” and more.

Glenn Schurmer described his son as everyone’s best friend and encouraged his friends in attendance to excel in his memory. 

“​​We’re never, ever going to replace him; I think about him all day every day,” the father said. “I miss the hell out of him, but he’s given us so much since he’s passed, and we’re going to continue to live in his memory.”

Endrijonas, who was just a month into her job at SBCC when Schurmer died, said his loss was immediately felt by the campus community. 

“As president, it’s always difficult to lose anyone who is part of the campus community, but especially someone so young, so full of life, with so much life ahead of him,” Endrijonas said. “His friends continue to carry on his memory, and we will forever remember him as the amazing person he was.”

Numerous other family members, friends from Ojai, co-workers and friends from the theater spoke about Schurmer, sharing memories and performing music.

Luca Kuin performed an original song he wrote about Schurmer and a cover of “Stick Season” by Noah Kahan. 

Katie Schurmer said she was grateful to see how many people her son impacted in a short amount of time and encouraged Schurmer’s friends to keep his memory alive.

“I feel so blessed that he was my amazing son, and such an amazing person, and friend to all of you. Keep talking to him, keep talking about him,” Katie Schurmer said.

“Benny Schurmer will never be forgotten. Live each day like it’s your last, live life to its fullest, and live like Benny Schurmer did.”