Former Football Star, Navy SEAL Dies at 33

Friends and family are mourning the loss of a beloved and well-known former Portsmouth High School graduate, Iraq War veteran and actor, after his death on Monday. 

Robert Bryan Guzzo Jr., 33, died Monday, Nov. 12, in San Diego, CA, according to the Poway-Bernardo Mortuary.  

Born on Jan. 3, 1979 in San Diego, CA, Guzzo was a graduate of Portsmouth High School and a former member of the football team. He was also a graduate of SUNY Cortland, where he received a bachelor's degree in sociology, according to his IMDB resume. 

According to a local blog, Guzzo was a Navy SEAL who enlisted in response to the 9/11 attacks. He served in Afghanistan and the Iraq War. 

Guzzo later went on to work as an actor in California, according to his IMDB resume. 

He was featured in the TV movie, Crisis: New York Under Water, the 2010 TV series Universal Dead and was featured in a 2011 short film, I Am a Human Directional. 

His biggest role, however, came in 2011 when he performed as a member of Lennox's team in the blockbuster movie Transformers: Dark of the Moon. 

According to his resume, Guzzo was pursuing a master's degree in kinesiology. 

A Facebook memorial page has been created in Guzzo's memory. On the page, there are numerous tributes such as this one from Nick Arruda: 

Guzzo's loyalty to our country is nothing short of heroic, in fact it's legendary. After the 9/11 attacks, he decided to join the Navy Seals, because he wants to personally fight the war on terror. Joining the seals is no small accomplishment...he was part of the most elite group of soldiers on the planet and I can't begin to imagine what he's been through while in combat. Unfortunately, he made the ultimate sacrifice...first with his mind and then with his life. I am so proud to call him my friend and I think we would all agree...Guzzo is a real American hero.

To post your tributes or condolences, or to read others, you can view the Rob Guzzo Memorial here. You can also post condolences and tributes to Guzzo in the comment section below. 

The Portsmouth High School Class of '97 is also working to make a donation to the Jena Mae Guzzo Memorial Fund.

Donations should be sent in a check with "Jena Mae/Rob Guzzo" in the memo field. Checks may be sent to Portsmouth High School, 120 Education Lane, Portsmouth, RI, 02871. 

A gathering for Guzzo is being planned for this Sunday, Nov. 25, at the Brick Alley Pub in Newport. Check the Facebook memorial page for further details. 

A memorial service will also be held at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, CA, on Friday.