‘Long Live Wil:’ Campus community celebrates Wilmani Castillo’s memory

Gatepost Archives

By Sophia Oppedisano 

Editor-in-Chief

As the sun set over Framingham State on Feb. 16, friends, family, faculty, and staff gathered on the basketball court behind Miles Bibb Hall, armed with blue balloons and candles to celebrate the life and legacy of Wilmani Josiah Castillo.

Wilmani, a junior business management major, tragically died in a car accident on Feb. 9. He was 22. The Framingham State community has been mourning the loss of his kind, caring, approachable spirit. 

The Dean of Students Office assisted Wilmani’s family and his girlfriend, Jaya Kasparian, Class of ’25, in organizing the vigil and balloon release on the basketball court as well as a celebration of life in the McCarthy Forum. 

Prior to the service, Facilities plowed the basketball court so the community could gather in a space where Wilmani often spent time with his friends. 

Wilmani’s family and close friends stood on the basketball court, surrounded by students, faculty, and staff, as they arranged candles into the letter ‘W’ and a heart. 

The group held a moment of silence before everyone released their balloons, painting the sky in shimmering blue and silver, and shouting, “We love you, Wil!” 

After the balloon release, the celebration of life was held in the McCarthy Forum. Items belonging to Wilmani were laid out along with decorations, framed photos, and posters for students to sign and share memories or words of kindness and support with his family. 

A video, created by Wilmani’s family and friends, was played for everyone and featured pictures of Wilmani as a child, on vacation, and clips of times he spent with his friends on campus. The crowd laughed openly at Wilmani’s jokes in the clips and shared smiles over the photos - proof that he will continue to provide everyone with joy long after his passing. 

Many of the clips were of Wilmani speaking directly to the camera, sharing advice on making the most of life. “This life is what you make it,” he said in one of the clips.

During this time of shared grief and remembrance, students and family members were invited on stage at the conclusion of the video to share their memories of Wilmani. 

His older brother, Armani Tejada, said Wilmani was “the happiest person I ever met,” and described him as the “life of the party” and a “good-hearted kid with the most love.

“He was an old soul with all this wisdom. I would be like, ‘You’re my little brother! I’m supposed to share my wisdom with you,’” Tejada said.

One of Wilmani’s cousins also spoke - “I want to speak for all my cousins,” she said. 

She shared how much Wilmani’s love impacted her and their cousins, and how she will always miss the fun he brought to every gathering. “Long live Wil,” she added. 

Students ranging from those who knew Wilmani as a “brother” to those who only knew him in passing stood up to share memories of moments as small as when he said hi to them in the hallway to times his advice or spirit changed their lives. 

Friends recalled memories from living in Larned Hall with Wilmani, which brought laughter from the crowd. They remembered always feeling as though they could talk to him for hours. 

One student expressed how she felt she was “only just getting to know Wil. I wish I had more time.”

Another student shared that no matter what, Wilmani always said hi, and he never wavered in treating people with kindness, no matter who they were or what they were going through. “There aren’t many people like that,” she said.

One of Wilmani’s close friends said, “Wilmani didn’t grow up to be a good kid - he was always a good kid. … He changed my life.”