The Ethan Carlos Foundation was established to honor our beautiful son and to carry on his legacy of selfless giving, helping others, and spreading his message of hope, love, and to never give up.
Warrior for Love. Helper of Mankind.
It’s not easy to encapsulate Ethan’s larger than life impact on the world in a few brief words. He was someone extraordinary that you might get to meet once in a lifetime. The type of special, unique, warm and multi-faceted person that people felt an instant connection with. He walked the Earth with a heart of gold, and a smile and personality that lit up every room he was in. He had an unwavering desire to help others and lift people up, whether friend or stranger.
Ethan personified his name - a warrior for love and helper of all mankind.
Ethan Alexander Carlos was born on July 18, 2009 in Whittier, California. Since he was a little boy, he had a naturally warm and generous spirit, and loved to make everyone he met feel extra special. As a teen, even in the face of his own deep emotional adversity, he still woke up every day and chose love. He was known for using his bright smile and charm to effortlessly cheer people up. He was loving, sincere, and humble. He had an infectious smile, radiated positivity, was a great listener and great conversationalist. He always put others’ well being first - so much so, that he struggled daily with putting his own needs first and caring for himself. What made him happy was to make sure others felt good about themselves. He was an astute observer of the human experience, who prayed for others in need and tried to help those that were less fortunate whenever he could.
“Live life. Have fun. Be yourself. Self love. Never give up.”
This was Ethan’s message to the world, and the core beliefs that he lived out each day - sharing this message with anyone that needed their spirits lifted, heartfelt guidance or a little inspiration . For him, LOVE was at the center of every interaction. The word “agape” is a Greek word that defines the highest form of brotherly love and charity. Ethan was truly the embodiment of agape in it’s purest form. His faith was also very important to him. He carefully studied the Bible and prayed daily, doing his best each day to live like Jesus.
Ethan was a naturally gifted athlete and an academic with excellent grades. He was an amazing skater, competitive track and field athlete, fierce basketball player, and a natural golfer - among other talents.
Ethan was wise beyond his years. He had an insatiable hunger for wisdom and loved books like the Alchemist, as well as various books on leadership and mental toughness. He was analytical, had the gift of a creative mind, and was philosophical. He excelled at math, was intrigued by business and finance, but also had a deep appreciation for fine art, music, fashion, culture and pushed the limits of his own creativity constantly. He loved fashion so much that he taught himself how to use a sowing machine to tailor his clothes and even made a few pants completely from scratch.
Ethan transitioned to heaven in January 2025. At only the age of 15, he had already lived his life in ways that many of us only hope to achieve in our lifetime. He left behind a powerful legacy, and his impact to family, friends and our communities is everlasting. Those of us that loved him deeply have vowed to keep his message, legacy and spirit of giving alive forever.
