I never met your son Connor but I did meet some of his friends on Thursday night at karaoke at the Mount. They said they’d come up from Wellington for their mate’s funeral because he’d died paragliding down South. They were great guys, fun, respectful, educated, and one even sung a duet with me. We had planned to do a group song together but couldn’t due to technical issues. I was impressed with their dedication to Connor. That they travelled up from Wellington to show their respects, and wanted to be clearheaded for the morning funeral. They explained they’d grown up together in Tauranga. He had great friends which shows what a great person he was. Today I met two other people who also spoke highly of Connor’s mum and dad. Mum through her work, and dad through his work. This is a well respected family. God bless you all during this time. X

I met Connor at Homer Hut with Louis. We soon found ourselves climbing steep walls, over glaciers and eating plenty of cheds. I will forever miss you—your energy, your endless love for life, and the way you embraced the world so fully. Thank you for being you. You were truly one of a kind, and the memories we shared will always stay with me. Your Rubik’s cube Summit Solves upon Mt Tititea and Mt Sefton, big rock candy mountain, and of course cheds. I honestly can’t believe you are gone, but I know you will live on in the countless lives you touched. E kore ia e ngaro, kei ngā ngaru e rere ana, kei te hau e kōrero ana, kei ngā whetū e tiaho ana. He will not be lost, for he is in the waves that dance, the wind that speaks, and the stars that shine. I will carry you with me, your love and life onwards. Moe mai rā, e hoa.

Dear Mark, Lisza, Wilson, Caitlin, and Goga, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. Connor is clearly one in a million, and it breaks us to see someone as amazing as him pass so young. A friend and I were able to reach Connor within a few minutes of the accident. I just want you to know he was not alone, and I am so deeply sorry we could not save him. Please don't hesitate to contact us at any time if you'd like to talk. From, Luke and Orry

I met Connor all too briefly when he was staying with Craig and Natalie in Margate. He was, at the time, recovering from nasty injuries caused by jumping off some high structure, which had landed him in hospital. He was an attractive youth with no vices or bad habits, and I only wish I had known him better and for longer. He seemed oblivious of the risks he was taking, so there was a certain inevitability about his passing, giving his short life a sense of drama which is both impressive and rather magnificent.

My deepest love and condolences to Mark Lisza, Wils and Cait. I feel a profound sadness for you all. Hearing all the beautiful words spoken at the farewell and reading all these tributes makes me wish I had been able to know Connor better as an adult. But I will cherish the memories I have of him as a child and teenager. RuneScape and PlayStation games at Grammys place, walks around the Mount and to the pools, many hours playing in your back yard, eating sugar scones, bossing all the boys around and telling them bedtime stories about knights and dragons. I remember your energy, enthusiasm and love for your parents and Grammy. You were the only boy cousins Karl had his age and you were all so funny together. Britt and Karl and I reminisced about many funny times yesterday, most especially the time you boys made a sign saying “Free hugs, hot girls only” when you were only about 10 haha. I will miss hearing of your adventures, and will share your stories with my boys, you’ve touched many lives. Fly high Con!

Firstly my condolences to Mark, Lisa, Wilson and Caitlin I can't imagine how hard this is for you. Thank you for setting up the livestream it was amazing to join the service online and hear all the stories about Connor and how everyone had a similar experience with him, he was truly genuine, authentic and himself 100% of the time. Connor was one of the first people I met when I moved to New Zealand 5 years ago and there are countless stories I've remembered since his passing. I remember the tantrum he had when he couldn't do a boulder in Switzerland and took out his frustrations by climbing a nearby tree. The purejoy on his face when we came back to the flat in Squamish and he got to tell his epic story of how he jumped off a cliff to do an epic 70m rope swing. I remember when Con couldn't decide whether to cycle back out of kawakawa bay for the night to sleep in his van and ended up borrowing a hammock and sleeping through the freezing cold night with nothing but the clothes he had on. My favourite memory of Con was when he randomly turned back up in the mount after being away for a while, he organised a pizza night for the climbing gang, got there early and made pizza bases for everyone, berated everyone over their ability to put the rights toppings on, in the right order, and in the correct volume. Everyone had a wholesome time chatting and smiling and hearing about Con's outrageous new stories. He will be sorely missed but never forgotten.

It could not be more fitting that Connors life is celebrated on the day in which love is being celebrated around the world. If there is anything I can say about Con, is that he loved fully and with abandonment. He loved the thrill of adventure, he loved climbing, and the mountains and sharing them with people. He loved pasta, his family, ginger nut cookies, and any kind of strange concoction with enough carbs and calories. He loved having a yarn, playing rumi, chess, riding bikes and I am convinced that (secretly), he loved alpine starts although he often complained about them. Seeing his beautiful and loving family and friends today, it is not surprising at all to realise that Connor was a product of abundance of love surrounding him, and he never hesitated to pass that love on. I believe that I wouldn't be speaking just for myself if I say that he always made people feel important, heard and loved. He touched so many lives and made a world a better place with his presence. With his passing, the world has truly lost something precious and beautiful. Someone once said that grief is just love, with no place to go. But I do believe that this love that we share for such a special guy will not be wasted, and even though he is not with us, in his memory, and by his example, we can hold this love in our hearts and keep making the world a better place because of it.

Connor....mi amigo Conegro! Venga venga! I thought you would be here forever, my friend. Love and gratitude is all I have for our time together. Connor my mate There is no rest in peace for someone like you ... There is only endless passion and froth and stoke and excitement energy and exhilaration and my hope is that the next journey you are on provides that for you Id trade a decade of my life for a few more years of yours anytime con I miss you so much buddy

To Con, I love you so much, and I count my blessings for having you in my life. You inspire me—always adventuring and passionate about everything you do. I will miss our chats, our laughs, and your hugs. Thank you for giving your whole authentic self to every community you were a part of. I will miss rocking up to the crag and seeing your wonderful face everywhere. I will carry you with me in every adventure I undertake in the future, and I hope to make you proud. Miss you forever. Moe mai rā, e hoa.

Hey Con and family, This really sucks but man you lived life to the full! It does not seem real that I wont come home to mum and dads and see you standing in the kitchen or standing on the deck where we would proceed to say hi and have a chat about what we have been up to and you wearing your red cap. Over the last few days the memories have been streaming back. I remember you running around in your nappies, the blue cot that everyone slept in and that all mighty scream that you could let out when you didn't get your way :) the way that you would zoom down the drive way on your trike just in your nappy. You would skin up your big toes so much cause you were using them as breaks to stop yourself going straight into the gate at the end of the drive way. We will miss you so much dude, forever in our hearts. ' Love you Con xx

Rest in peace my friend 🕊️ if I can say so. As I'm sure you'll be still floating around us! I have met Con at LWG where we were living together for some time. I loved his travel and adventure stories. Everytime he would come home he would tell us about his day and what excited him most. He was always very inviting. Such a good energy bundle summed up. He told me how he hasn't had a haircut in 5 years and that he was thinking about of shaving his beard. I as a Barber/hairdresser recommend him to just give it a nice trim and that he would look like a baby face without it. I then had the honer of giving him a beard trim. He told me how he hasn't had a look in the mirror for years and on that day he actually did to see what I did. He really liked it and came back after a few weeks to get another trim. We had some fun games nights and delicious pizza he made. He honestly made this place an even better place! My condolences and deep empathy to everyone who was lucky to have met him! You'll be truly missed🤍

I had my life flip on it's head entirely this past September, and I impulsively decided that before my lifestyle did a complete 180, I needed to see Yosemite Valley. I was in the Valley for less than 24 hours, but in that time, managed to find Connor by pure chance. I remember him turning around in the small screening room in the heart of the village in Yosemite, and instantly grinning when he saw my face. It was a moment where I had felt unsure and antsy, and seeing Connor's smile grounded me in a flash. I was facing a lot of turmoil and yet, almost wordlessly, he made everything feel lighter. He had this unmistakable ability to make people feel loved and seen. He gave me the warmest, biggest, bear hug after our brief conversation. Connor had an incredible graceful way with people, but especially like-minded climbers. He was the best of us this past summer in Squamish. A campground fixture and true friend to all. He will be sorely missed.

Dear Mark, Lisa, Wilson, Caitlyn, and all extended family, My heart hurts for you all on the devastating loss of your beautiful Connor. I was blessed to have met him when I came over a few yrs ago on my first trip to NZ. I can still picture Connor standing in your kitchen making pizzas and immediately stopping what he was doing as we arrived to give his beloved Aunty Di a huge hug. It was so obvious the beautiful bond they had for each other. Our visit was brief and that saddens me as I didn't get to chat with Connor, now knowing what an incredible spirited human he was. What a beautiful service to celebrate an incredible short life lived. Such lovely words spoken, and stories shared to remember Connor by. I pass on my sincerest sympathies to you all and also to the many who loved Connor. May the memories you hold in your heart make the pain of losing such a precious person easier to bare as time passes. Louisa xo

I will remember Connor as one of the most generous caring people I met during my time on the NA climbing circuit. He had a capacity to care, support and look after other people in a way I have yet to find in another person. He was the self proclaimed worlds most psyched belayer and willing to come support his friends on whatever projects they had. When I had stupidly dropped my car keys off The Rostrum in Yosemite, he drove all the way up and hiked half an hour to the rappels to bring us food and water while we waited for a locksmith. As I was experiencing self doubt in my abilities, he was there to build me back up. When we were in Utah, he woke up every morning and with Nico, set about making everyone in our camp breakfast who wanted some. He was a center piece of our "Squamish" dirtbag tribe and a day without him in camp was all the worse for it. When I last saw Connor, we were in Moab, where we ran into each other one last time, he was getting ready to leave, while I was heading back out into the desert. We talked about our plans for the future, and how our paths would converge again the next summer in Squamish, planning on climbing together more as several of our objectives aligned (with him being healthy this time). It was an absolute honor and privilege to climb with him and call him a friend. When he left town he told me "I'll see ya when I see ya and not before!". While we may never see each other again in this life, your family from the chief will help carry on your spirit until we meet once more. I'm going to miss you this summer, and all the summers after. - "Boulder Pad"

I’m unsure if I’ve ever been compelled to write a tribute for someone who I had met once, but it’s clear to me through that interaction, and listening to your whanau speak of you, how much an impact you had on people. Your energy was able to shrink the gap between acquaintance and friend over the course of a few hours, and I’m sure many others have experienced the same feeling. You will be missed, but I’m certain you will live on through those connections you have forged with so many people. Rest in peace, Whetu.

Met Con in the south of France in June 2022 at Céüse, I saw this nutcase climbing without chalk having a blast. We played ping pong into the night with some French girls flirting with him and he was totally clueless, what a weapon! I had a few laughs with him, he was a bright light.

I've never heard anyone say a bad word about Connor. He was always so full of enthusiasm and we always had a hell of a laugh together when he would pop up unexpectedly at PMP or any other location. His ability to just jump on his bike and ride better than you could imagine after not touching a bike in a year was always mind blowing. The PMP crew will forever miss Carbo's appearances, one hell of a character!

Hey Connor, we only met a few times but I will always remember your pizza and your incredible pizzas. I recall our very first interaction - you egged on Whetu and I to keep eating your pepperoni pizzas until we couldn’t anymore. But even then, we couldn’t say no to another slice… they were just that good! To me, it seemed like you always knew how to make the people around you smile and laugh, yet at the same time, leaving them in awe and wonder. I felt like I could tell that you were just so passionate about everything you did. I always enjoyed your calm presence and energy. It’s strange and sad to think we won’t be sharing a climb in this current life, but remember - you owe me a belay, so I’ll be taking you up on that one. Rest easy Connor, though I just know you’ll be up and ready chasing the clouds. Lots of aroha - Christine.

There are a lot of people in the world that say they are trying to live life to the fullest but Connor was one of those very rare people that actually did it. I have never lost a friend before so maybe it feels like this every time but to me Connor seemed different than most people. For the 2 years I knew him Connor had an outsized impact on my life being part of some of the best times of those years, he was always down for an adventure and always had a smile his face. I met Connor as many people did in Homer hut where we were both living out our dreams climbing around those amazing mountains. It didn’t take long to realise that he was the life of the hut and great person to have around so I was delighted when he asked if he could join me and Jenna on a mountaineering mission despite only having trail runners and having crampons only once before. That day started a friendship that took us many awesome places. I have been trying to come up with a way to describe how special Connor was as a person but it’s so hard to do without it sounding like a cliche. Connor really was the best of us. I have never met someone who was so naturally good or with such an intense passion for life as he had. He did all of this without trying, it was just in his nature to wake up every day and live life to the fullest. Connor wasn’t affected by the problems that most people face in life, he was seemingly unburdened from the struggles of society, wholeheartedly dedicating his life to what he was passionate about and he gave love freely to everyone who was around him regardless of how long he had known them. Because of this Connor was loved by many creating a motley crew of friends that spans the globe. Connor has left a big hole in my life that’s going to hurt for a long time but I am so grateful to have spent the time with him that I did. I will spend the rest of my life trying to live with as much passion as Connor did. Love you mate you were a truely special person.

Connor was one of the kindest, most honest and radical guys I've ever known. Con was always surprising me with some new facet of his personality, and I came to really treasure knowing him in the few years that I did. He was a great friend, always on the look out for ways to help people and make the most of life. Im really sorry that we'll never get to climb or run in the hills with him again.

Hey Con, Thanks for so many awesome adventures together. Golden Bay, KBay, Chch, Tauranga, Milford, Mangorewa... teaching me how to solve rubiks cube! You were one of the best out there bro, I see you on the other side homie. Much love, ika.

Connor was certainly a full on kind of guy, I'd crossed paths a few times between New Zealand and Australia, with him being there for one of my fondest New Zealand adventures. A last minute stop heading out of milford sound after hiking a mountain jumping off a cliff into water and sliding off the peak down some snow, he convinced me to do Lucky strike. We camped on the ridge and had a good day climbing through the clouds only to decide to do a scramble to the peak which was harder and further then I gave it credit for. Anyway I remember stemming up a crack seeing Connor a little ways ahead taking a little video when I had to ask for help and he rushed right on over. He just seemed to be so sure of himself moving at heights it was hard to keep up that's for sure, but that seemed true to most of what he did in life.

I can't imagine the sadness you as a family are feeling. Sending our heartfelt condolences and strength.

Mark & Lisza, what can I say. This is every parents nightmare. My heart is breaking for you & the rest of the family, in your grief. I never knew Connor but it sounds like you have raised the most awesome young man. You should be very proud. Kia kaha xx

I met Connor while he was bandaged up after some conflict with a pot of boiling water. From the first conversation it was clear that Connor walks to the beat of his own drum. He hadn't looked in the mirror for months (or was it years?), hadn't ever had a drink, and could consume a ridiculous amount of bananas in one sitting. I thought immediately that this was the most interesting person I'd met in a long time, and later came to find, also the most patient. Being all patched up and burnt from his war with boiling water, he couldn't do many of the things he'd planned, but he was still so high on life, so unbelievable stoked to be there, in Christchurch, just doing whatever he could. Anytime I was round the Village flat (where he was staying) I'd pester him to show me again, what's the next step with the rubix cube? No wait, slower this time. Every time he'd oblige, he was happy to teach, happy to hang, and I was happy to have him there. I didn't get to spend as much time with him as I would've liked, a feeling I know I share with so many others, but the time I did get to spend has left me changed. Connor had a firm practice to do everything to the beat of your own heart, and treat every minute like a gift. That's something I think he's inspired in a lot of those who were lucky enough to even have one conversation with him. My love goes out to his family and friends who are hurting from this loss. We will endeavour to live our lives in a way that would make Connor proud. And I'll try eat more bananas from now on mate. Catch you in the next life Connor. Love Syd <3

Connor was a bright light. He always made us laugh when our paths crossed, first for Kieran through BMX and then on various climbing trips in Fiordland, Wanaka or Golden Bay. He tended to pop up when we least expected him. We loved catching up and hearing about his latest adventure (usually a very unique situation and told in a very animated way). Other times we’d receive recommendations of must dos – from moss facials to beta on routes, hikes or runs. He cared a lot for the people around him and we’d often share a meal at the end of a long day - sometimes even out of his notorious, and treasured, dinner "trough". We’ll miss you Connor xx

I only knew Connor from that small corner of the phone screen, where he would wave and greet me with a cheerful "Hi, Goga's mom!" Yet, even that brief interaction was enough to recognize his warmth and kindness. I regret never having the chance to meet him in person, but I will always remember him as Wilson's and Goga's brother, their companion in countless adventures, and a truly loving and gentle soul ❤️‍🩹

Mark, words cannot express how sorry I am to hear of the tragic loss of Connor. My heart goes out to you all. Sending my love and thinking of you all.

Lisza - I am lost for words to be honest! I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved son. My heart aches for you and your family. Sending strength and love to you all at this time Jacqui Griffiths ❤️

Our son attended to Connor as part of the helicopter rescue crew that was called out. He’s a paraglider himself and knows the thrill and enjoyment of what Connor was doing on this day. As parents their adventure choices can be hard on us and none worse than this, however we really hope that you do take comfort in knowing he was looked after with care and compassion by someone that understood his adventurist spirit. He obviously wasn’t a bystander in life. Take care.

Connor was an amazing person who had a positive impact on anyone he met, he radiated positivity and could eat more bananas in one sitting than any man I’ve ever met! He will be missed dearly by many people, my thoughts and prayers go to his family.

Deepest sympathy is with you all in the passing of Connor. Thinking of you all Chris Hansen and family

Mark and Lisza - know you have our love and support always.