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Riley Strain: University Of Missouri Student Honored At Celebration Of Life A Week After Being Found Dead In Nashville River
Friends and family are remembering Riley Strain after his sudden tragic death last month.
Friday’s funeral service in Springfield, Missouri, the hometown of the 22-year-old University of Missouri student, was attended by his loved ones. It was held one week after the student’s body was discovered dead in Nashville’s Cumberland River and two weeks after he went missing.
Riley Strain honored after his death
The young college student was reminded of his childhood buddies by one of the songs played at the burial, which also happened to remind Strain’s parents of him, according to KY3. According to ABC News, several people spoke during the ceremony, including Joey Cockell, a high school friend of Strain’s. “One lesson I learned from Riley is to always stay in the present and don’t overthink,” he stated. “He always told me to be in the moment, and everything else will come.”
Cockell continued, “Riley always found a way to make others smile,” according to the station. “Words cannot express how much I long to hear his voice. I’m lost without Riley.” Earlier this month, friends last saw Strain in a pub on Broadway in Tennessee, according to a prior statement from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. The country singer’s restaurant, Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink, is managed by TC Restaurant Group, which previously issued a statement stating that he was asked to leave.
Afterward, the college student was captured on camera, engaging with a police officer and then walking toward a bridge. Five days before the discovery of his body, on March 17, his bank card was located. “The preliminary autopsy showed no apparent signs of foul play, and his death continues to appear accidental,” the police subsequently told PEOPLE. His family described the two-week journey as an “emotional rollercoaster” soon after his death was discovered. Riley’s mother, Michelle Whiteid, thanked everyone who assisted in finding her son and pleaded with other mothers. “I just ask that you mommas out there hug your babies tight tonight, please,” she continued. “Please, for me.”
Riley was a deeply kindhearted person
His family requested donations to the Missouri Department of Conservation be made in Riley’s honor rather than flowers. The obituary stated, “Riley loved being outside, whether fishing, hunting or just taking in the peace of the lake. His competitive nature was evident in his tennis matches and his developing interest in jiu-jitsu. Above all, though, according to the memorial, the 22-year-old “cherished time spent with family, creating lasting memories.” The statement said, “Riley Strain’s presence will be profoundly missed, but his joyous approach to life and the happiness he brought to those around him will forever be remembered.”
When asked to leave Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink in downtown Nashville on a trip to the city with other Delta Chi Fraternity members for a spring formal, Strain vanished on March 8.
A week following his disappearance, Luke’s 32 Bridge + Drink released a statement stating that Strain was offered one alcoholic drink and two glasses of water before being escorted out by security at approximately 9:35 p.m., “by our conduct standards.” The institution did not go into more detail.
Strain was described as having a “deep care for the community and the environment” in his obituary. The body was found in the river along 61st Avenue North by a man who works for the building material business Holcim, according to the 911 call that was recently made public. “I discovered a dead body just now. According to WSMV audio, the caller informed the dispatcher, “I think it’s Riley.”
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