OBIT: Kaitlyn Brittany Strand (Oct. 24, 1988 - May 11, 2013)

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The Fate of Kaitlyn Strand

A Number of Faked or Confusing Stories

The Fate of her Grandfather Bat Chief John Riley

She often shared the story on the loss of her grandfather in the Oakland fire. I shared how my friends barely escaped the buildings exploding behind him at the Condos by the Caldecott Tunnel.

Other Students

Kaitlyn Brittany Strand

Oct. 24, 1988 - May 11, 2013
Resident of Martinez

Employer: McNamara Law , Walnut Creek CA

Story #1

Killed in Hit and Run-Oakland, CA (UPDATE) her friends were trying to redirect me, she died from an unknown overdose. Like many cases nothing happens, like Tony it was some elaborate unusual incident.

Story #2

Through a mutual friend was able to speak to her mother. Story #1 was pushed at me at various open-mics in the East Day

She had a wonderful and was a musician:

Performed at Ray's Lounge and other open mic

She Was New Mother:

Four months old, was beautiful baby

Handle:

The Black Rose

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A former law clerk at the McNamara Law Firm former assistant to the Harbor Master at the Martinez Marina, & former childcare worker for the City of Concord; she was studying to become a paralegal & longed to become an attorney. But her true passion was her new baby girl & her music. She was an amazing mother, writer, musician & poet, possessing a loving heart & flamboyant spirit. Her sense of humor, kindness & fierce devotion to her loved ones, will be greatly missed. She is predeceased by her grandfather, former Battalion Chief, James Riley, killed during the Oakland Fire in 1991, & grandmother, Marilyn Lawnicki of Louisiana, in 1988. She is survived by her 4 month old daughter, Persephone Walsh, soul mate John Walsh, mother Catherine Riley, father Rick Strand, beloved brother Andrew Strand, grandmother Christine Riley, & a host of uncles, aunts, cousins & friends. Services on Sat. May 25, 2013 at 11:00 a.m., at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, 1601 Mary Dr, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the, Kaitlyn B. Strand Memorial Fund, for her daughter, Persephone. Donations can be mailed to Wells Fargo Bank, 1978 Contra Costa Blvd., Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/contracostatimes/obituary.aspx?pid=164831064#sthash.TExcNPdO.dpuf

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Fire Firefighters down

James M. Riley Jr.

• Battalion Chief
• Oakland Fire Department
• California
• Year of Death: 1991

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Submitted by his daughter

Battalion Chief James Riley served twenty-five years and seventeen days as a firefighter in the Oakland‚ CA‚ Fire Department. Driven by an unseen force‚ he became the youngest Battalion Chief in the history of the Oakland Fire Department‚ at the age of just 36 years old. He served as a mentor and roll model to many in the department‚ who refer to him as ‘The Man Who Wrote the Book’ on firefighting.

Chief Riley served as the hill fire coordinator for the City of Oakland. Many of his theories have been‚ incorporated into firefighter training throughout the world. The Alameda County Disaster Center‚ named the Grubensky-Riley Building‚ was built in honor of him‚ and Oakland Police Officer‚ John Grubensky‚ who also died during the great Oakland Hills Firestorm. In addition‚ a state of the art firehouse‚ made entirely of brick‚ was built in the Oakland Hills‚ in his memory.

Twenty-five people died during the Oakland Hills Firestorm‚ and over three-thousand homes were lost. It is marked as one of the biggest residential fires in U.S. history.

Battalion Chief James M. Riley‚ Jr.‚ is survived by his wife Christine of 30 years‚ his son James‚ his daughter Catherine‚ grandsons James and Andrew‚ granddaughters Amanda and Kaitlyn‚ his mother Evelyn‚ his sisters Patricia‚ Alice and Lowana‚ his best friend Neal Smither‚ and his brother and sister firefighters of the Oakland Fire Department.

For an in-depth view into Battalion Chief James Riley’s life‚ please read an excerpt from the autobiographical‚ work-in-progress‚ The Battalion Chief’s Daughter‚ & Grieving a Superhero‚ by author‚ Catherine Jean Riley. Samples of her work can be found by accessing: http://wittyvixen.writing.com