Smart, athletic and determined, Todd Allen Lorell enjoyed big challenges. He endured two summers of grueling physical activity at U.S. Marine Corps camps and emerged more focused than ever on becoming one. Known as “Touchdown Todd” at Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, his determination was evident – no football player was more reliable at reaching the end zone.
First Lt. Lorell, 23, was killed Aug. 1 in a vehicle collision near the Marine base at Twentynine Palms, where he was stationed. His death triggered an outpouring of love, admiration and support from the more than 600 family and friends who attended his Aug. 9 memorial service at Alta Mesa Memorial Park in Palo Alto.
First Lt. Lorell’s brother, Kevin, said he was glad to know that “Todd had a presence in so many lives.”
Military personnel were on hand to salute the Los Altos native and fellow Marine with the ceremonial firing of rifles and the playing of “Taps” during interment at the Alta Mesa cemetery.
In a high school essay shared at the service, First Lt. Lorell wrote, “Personal honor is living a life of grace and dignity towards all that matters.” Speakers at his memorial described Lt. Lorell’s living this philosophy by giving much of himself to the world around him.
First Lt. Lorell was born in 1987 at El Camino Hospital and raised in Los Altos. He attended Almond and Egan Junior High schools before entering Bellarmine. He was an outstanding athlete who excelled at football, wrestling and track. On an academic scholarship at the University of Southern California, he majored in international relations. He was an active member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and a standout halfback on the college rugby team.
“Todd was incredibly strong, but also deeply empathetic,” said Cameron Kay, one of First Lt. Lorell’s Lambda Chi Alpha brothers. “You knew his heart was always in the right place.”
During his freshman year, Lt. Lorell decided to become a U.S. Marine. He was commissioned an officer in the Marine Corps the same day he received his bachelor’s degree from USC in May 2010.
That October, First Lt. Lorell began the nine-month basic training program at the USMC facility in Quantico, Va. He received advanced training as a logistics officer at Camp Lejeune, N.C. After completing his training in September 2011, First Lt. Lorell was assigned to the Headquarters Company, 7th Marine Regiment, Twentynine Palms, as a logistics operations officer. He was promoted to first lieutenant in May 2012.
He headed a transportation platoon preparing for deployment to Afghanistan, scheduled for mid-September.
First Lt. Lorell is survived by his father, Ken, a former Los Altos planning commissioner; mother Mary Ann Champagne; and brother, Kevin. Survivors include his grandmother Margaret Champagne; aunts and uncles Dennis and Patrick Champagne, Peter Sass, Connie Champagne, Mark and Marty Lorell, and Sue and Steve Young; and cousins Kelan Champagne, Emily, Matthew and CJ Young, and David and Daniel Lorell.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Los Altos Educational Foundation, Bellarmine College Preparatory or the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation, which provides for the educational needs of children of military personnel.
