Last week, Princeton University juniors stumbled upon the reality of bipolar disorder while out near a lake close to their Ivy League campus. This came in the wake of Lauren Blackburn’s passing, as detailed in his obituary.
As of now, the cause of Blackburn’s death remains unclear, according to a representative from the medical examiner’s office.
The obituary noted he “fought bravely against bipolar disorder” before his death.
Blackburn, who was just 23, was discovered at Lake Carnegie on April 25th, having been last spotted near Firestone Library around 6 p.m. on April 19th.
Authorities were alerted on April 22 and initiated an underwater search in the reservoir area.
Located just to the south of campus, Lake Carnegie is only about a mile from the library where Blackburn was last seen.
He was a national merit scholar, received the Gates Scholarship, and was majoring in English, with graduation anticipated in 2026.
Originally from Coridon, Indiana, his obituary described him as “compassionate, thoughtful, playful,” with a love for “Wuthering Heights” and the works of Virginia Woolf.
From 2020 to 2021, he served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Santa Rosa, California.
His obituary mentioned that he supported various teams, including K-Pop, the Celtics, and the Chiefs, as well as the Tottenham Hotspurs.
Blackburn spent last summer in Korea, exploring his Korean heritage.
A service in his memory is planned for 5 p.m. on May 4th at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Coridon.
In honor of their son, Blackburn’s parents requested that a donation be made to the International Bipolar Foundation in his name.
