In the early morning of July 20, 2020, Zach Filippo was involved in a car accident in Boca Raton, Florida, where he was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 20 years old.
He is survived by his parents, Greg and Shari Filippo, and his younger brother Matthew. His friends and family remember him as a generous person who would do anything to keep others happy.
Filippo was from Boca Raton, Florida, and studied at Indiana University as a student of the Kelley School of Business. He was also an active member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity as well as the Indiana University Dance Marathon.
Ethan Salk, a sophomore and Fraternity brother of Filippo, met Zach before their freshman year at IU. The pair were roommates during the fall semester. Salk remembers wanting to spend every second of the day with Fillipo because of his contagious energy and bright spirit.
“Flipp was the happiest, most loving kid ever, Salk said. He always lit up a room with the biggest smile. Everyone loved him.”
Another Fraternity brother and sophomore at IU, Daniel Mikiytansky, remembers how Zach could make a bad day into the best one.
“Being around his positive energy always had a good impact on someone else, and to me, he was someone that made my day better,” Mikityansky said.
Those who knew Zach always knew they were loved by him because he always left a room or ended a phone call with a quick “I love you”. That became Zach’s rule.
The Zach rule is something that is held very close to Zach’s loved ones. Another fellow fraternity brother, Jon Rabanny, explains what the Zach Rule means to him.
“The Zach Rule that myself and all my brothers carry with us every day is always say I love you, said Rabanny. This was truly Zach’s rule. It was the littlest thing about him that we all experienced in the short time we knew him, but it’s something that truly demonstrates who he was as a person as a core value of his we want to carry on.”
Although Zach’s life was cut way too short, he was the kind of person that would want his friends and family to stay positive and make sure to be happy all the time. Fraternity brothers of Zach’s specifically Jon Rabanny, explains how they chose to live on his legacy.
“Zach’s absence has definitely taken a hard hit on every single one of us, said Rabanny. But, instead of keeping our heads down we have made it a priority to have every night be a night for Flipp and every good time, be a good time for Flipp and that’s how we choose to remember him knowing that he would want to be doing those good times with us.”
Fillipos brothers went the extra mile to make sure The Zach Rule was carried on by Zach’s friends and family across the world.
Those who held Zach closest to their hearts have made a brand of clothing in honor of Zach. These clothing items have the words, The Zach Rule, and the sign language symbol of I love you. These clothing items are seen daily across the IU campus representing Zach and who he was as a person.
The brand will raise money for an endowment towards a scholarship for underprivileged kids at the University Of Maryland, Zach’s parent’s alma mater, and one of his favorite places in the world.
Jon Rabanny has also created a GoFundMe in which donations will be contributed to the Zach Filippo Rule Memorial Scholarship, the university, and an annual mission for outreach to underserved and vulnerable youth. Through the installation of basketball courts and hoops and the delivery of equipment and care packages, their goal is to encourage and display encouragement and love for others.
In the words of one of Zach’s favorites Paul Walker, “See you again at the finish line.”