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news
Tragedy claims
student's life
By Marten Lewerth
On-line Forty-Niner
His whole life
was friends, family and music -- nothing else mattered.
Adam Robert Bader,
an 18-year-old freshman at Cal State Long Beach, died early
Sunday in an automobile accident in National City.
"If you had
met him, it didn't take long to like him," said Adam's
mother, Linda Bader. "If the mood in a room was gloomy,
he would walk in and lighten things up. He was just somebody
who shouldn't have been taken."
A friendly person
that was always there for everyone, Bader left behind mother
Linda, father Ray, 16-year-old sister Danielle and his two
grandmothers, Zizi Bader and Diana Baumback.
Another person
who was very important to Bader was longtime girlfriend Marianne
Watson.
"Luckily for
her," Linda Bader said, "she was able to spend some
time with him that night."
Bader, who had
planned to major in business and communications with a minor
in music, lived on campus at the Parkside Commons with freshman
film major David Young.
"He was a
funny guy," Young said. "He had his stuff together
and was pretty organized. It seemed like he'd do pretty well
here."
Born on Feb. 9,
1983, Bader had returned to his family's home in Chula Vista
for a weekend visit and was out Saturday night with Jason
Becerra, a close friend since kindergarten.
After spending
time at another friend's house and going to dinner, the two
had been on their way home.
The accident occurred
at about 3 a.m. Sunday when the red 1990 Nissan Sentra driven
by Becerra drifted off the southbound lanes of Interstate
805 near the Plaza Boulevard exit and collided into a tree
at 70 mph.
The Sentra caught
fire and other motorists were able to pull Becerra from the
vehicle, but Bader could not be removed.
Bader sustained
fatal injuries due to the collision and was pronounced dead
at the scene at 3 a.m., according to the San Diego County
Medical Examiner's Office.
Becerra, also 18,
suffered a fractured right femur and was transported to Mercy
Hospital in Chula Vista, said Sgt. Elizabeth Barkley of the
California Highway Patrol.
Barkley added that
the report stated that Becerra fell asleep at the wheel and
that no alcohol or drugs were involved.
Linda Bader said
that Becerra had been tired from working all day and made
it very clear that her son was against drug use of any kind.
"I mean, I
would sneak a cigarette once in a while and he'd have a fit,"
she said.
"If I could
say anything to anybody," she added, "it's please
don't be tired and drive."
An avid saxophone
player since the fourth grade, Bader performed with the San
Diego Youth Symphony while attending Eastlake High School
in Chula Vista, where he was very involved with wrestling.
He also worked
as a cashier at Sea World, and was interested in finding a
job doing outside sales during sporting events at large stadiums.
"He could
sell ice to an Eskimo," his mother said. "He was
very outgoing and always had a sunny disposition."
Even though four
colleges accepted him after he graduated high school with
a 3.5 GPA, Bader decided to come to CSULB after a campus tour.
"He just loved
the campus," she said. "It was far enough from home,
but just close enough for visits."
Although they had
only known each other since the beginning of the fall semester,
Young said that Bader was extremely excited about joining
the Sigma Pi fraternity.
"He was actually
the first pledge this year," said sophomore Nick Scarabosio,
a Sigma Pi member. "He'd been hanging around a lot and
attended all the events."
The news of Bader's
death came as a shock to the fraternity's members.
"Nobody really
could believe it at first," Scarabosio said. "You
just don't understand how it could happen."
Linda Bader said
Adam had thrown everything he had lately into getting accepted
by Sigma Pi.
"He was reciting
and trying to remember all his pledges," she said. "He
was cracking up because he could remember that stuff -- but
not stuff from his other classes."
She also said that
she thought Adam had a surprise for her.
"Adam knew
that they really liked him," she said. "He didn't
quite say it, but I think he was going to be a member."
Adam Robert Bader's
funeral will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Cypress Valley
Chapel, located at 3953 Imperial Ave. in San Diego. For those
interested in attending the service, please call (619) 264-3168
for more information and directions.
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