'Creative' And 'Funny': Pepperdine Student Dies In Crash

MALIBU, CA — Pepperdine University student Conner Budge— described as a creative and lovable friend and colleague who could brighten a room with his sense of humor — died in a car crash over the weekend, the university announced Monday.

The 21-year-old man was found dead Saturday in a car on about 200 feet over the side of Mulholland Highway, near Las Virgenes Road, according to Malibu Search and Rescue. The Los Angeles County Examiner-Coroner confirmed that man was Budge.

Budge was a senior, on track to graduate this April from Pepperdine's Seaver College.

He was studying creative writing and a former member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon University, according to a news release from Pepperdine.

When not in class, Budge loved working at Geoffrey's Malibu, colleagues told Patch.

Budge was confident — he walked into Geoffrey's in a "beautiful" grey suit looking for a job and was hired on the spot, said Sharon Amos, the manager who hired Budge at Geoffrey's Malibu. The restaurant has a tight-knit staff, and Budge fit in immediately on account of his energetic attitude, friendliness and sense of humor, she said.

"Everybody loves him, he’s just a breath of fresh air," Amos said. "His eyes smiled a lot."

Budge was creative and passionate about film and cinematography, according to Kennedy Cashman, Budge's coworker at Geoffrey's. Her last memory of Budge is creating a dance routine with him and laughing hysterically, she said.

“Conner’s creativity was always inspiring to me, especially taking creative writing classes with him and hearing about all the different stories he wanted to share with the world,” said Ryan Bresingham, Budge's friend, classmate and fraternity brother. “He always knew how to make people smile and laugh and was a light in the lives of everyone who knew him.”

Budge was confident he would make an impact with his writing, Amos said.

"He said he was going to be one of the best writers ever known,” Amos said.

When Budge's coworkers noticed he wasn't at work Saturday, they went to find him at his dorm at Pepperdine and realized he was missing, Amos said. Given Budge was never late, everyone immediately knew something was off, she said.

Budge was really good at his job, friendly to customers and took direction really well, Amos said. His coworkers continue to work in his memory, Cashman said.

"Conner was not only the best roommate I've ever had, but also one of my closest friends,” said Matthew Hardville, Budge's roommate. “He loved and truly cared for everyone, and I will never forget the time we spent together and his bubbly and gentle spirit."

Community members were were expected to gather at Stauffer Chapel at 12 p.m. on Tuesday to remember Budge, pray and reflect on his life, according to the news release.

Students were encouraged to contact the counseling center at 310-506-4210 for emotional assistance or make an appointment with the Hub for Spiritual Life. Faculty and staff were encouraged to contact Sara Barton for support.