Wednesday, Nov. 10 was a sad day for SUNY Brockport students, alumni and faculty. The iconic albino squirrel regularly seen outside of Holmes Hall was tragically hit and killed by a car. The albino squirrel, who had many names including Frank, Fred and Blondie, became part of the SUNY Brockport family and stole the hearts of many.  

There is a one in 100,000 chance of a squirrel being born albino, and SUNY Brockport was fortunate enough to have one of them call the campus it’s home. Albino animals, especially squirrels, are sometimes seen as a sign of good luck.  

SUNY Brockport junior Mara Briggs says seeing the squirrel before an exam helped her scores.  

“Seeing the squirrel always made my day. It was usually running around outside of Holmes or up one of the trees,” Briggs said. “I think seeing the squirrel helped me do better on my tests because of how happy it made me to see it.”  

Alumni in the comment section of SUNY Brockport’s memorial Instagram post attest to having seen the albino squirrel as much as 16 years ago, meaning the squirrel may have been part of the community for quite some time. 

Caitlyn Stair, a senior majoring in criminal justice, has enjoyed seeing the squirrel throughout her time on campus. 

“The first time I saw the squirrel was my freshman orientation and I thought ‘Oh, that’s kind of weird it’s white.’ The orientation leaders said it was well known around campus as the squirrel that hung around Holmes Hall,” Stair said. “I used to throw my extra food to it leaving the dining hall. He was super friendly and was something to look forward to seeing before and after classes.”  

Students were shocked when the tragic news was announced in a post on SUNY Brockport’s Instagram. The comments were instantly flooded with memories, theories about the life of the squirrel and heartfelt responses.  

Shocked and in denial, some students in the comment section are hoping the squirrel is only in hibernation for the winter and isn’t truly dead. Unfortunately, squirrels do not hibernate and are quite active in the colder months, so this theory cannot be true.  

Another theory that circulated around the comment section is that there is a family of albino squirrels, and perhaps more albino relatives are still on campus. However, there have been no sightings of other albino squirrels since the accident. Only time will tell if this theory is correct.  

Other individuals in the comment section insisted there be a funeral service and canceled classes in memory of the late albino squirrel. Although neither of those events took place, there is no denying the place the albino squirrel will always have in the hearts of students and faculty. 

Rest in peace SUNY Brockport’s albino squirrel.