Category: Memorial Corner
Local 807 member killed in transport accident
Brother Karl Middlemas, 62, of Local 807 (Tucson, Ariz.) – a member of our union for more than 13 years – died when the crew van he was being transported in collided with a tractor-trailer late on July 6. Brother Middlemas hired on in 2007 and most recently served [...]
Services scheduled for Local 113 member Wade Carlisle
Wade Carlisle, a loyal member of Local 113 (Winslow, Ariz.), died in a non-work-related accident May 1 at age 50. He was a member of our union for six years, and worked as a trainman/brakeman for BNSF. He was vocal on worker safety issues and participated in an in-depth inter [...]Two TD members pass from COVID-19
The SMART Transportation Division is mourning two union brothers who have died in recent weeks because of COVID-19. Member Thurman Wheeler, 47, of Local 1348 (Centralia, Wash.) passed away on April 30 after being hospitalized for nearly two weeks with the virus. He was a Unio [...]
Buddy Strieker, S&T of Local 219, dies in at-work accident
Buddy Lee Strieker, an officer of Local 219 (Hannibal, Mo.) for the vast majority of his 24-plus years with our union, died as a result of a switching accident on April 7 in Louisiana, Mo. He was 56 years old. Brother Strieker was vice local chairperson of LCA-001A and the se [...]Local 934 mourns as member dies in accident involving crew transport vehicle
SMART Transportation Division Local 934 member Curtis A. Deines, 52, a member of our union for more than 20 years, died before dawn on the morning of March 19 after the SUV he was being transported in was involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle on U.S. Highway 2 [...]
Member dies in Calif. accident
A Local 1544 (Maywood, Calif.) member lost his life as a result of injuries while performing service early March 3. Brother Taj Ellis, 46, of Chino, Calif., was making a set-out in La Mirada Yard in Orange County, Calif., at 12:30 a.m. when he was fatally injured. He had been [...]
Fundraiser established for Local 1846 member who passed from COVID
Angel Lomeli, a 14-year member of our union, passed away Jan. 5, 2021, from COVID-19. He was 48 years old. Brother Lomeli was a member of Local 1846 (West Colton, Calif.) and worked as a trainman for Union Pacific. “God gained the absolute best angel today, we miss you, [...]Norm Patterson Jr., LCA-020 vice local chairperson, passes away from cancer
Norman “Norm” Patterson Jr., 52, of Lubbock, Texas, vice local chairperson of LCA-020 and a member of Local 9 (Slaton, Texas), passed away Jan. 5 after a battle with cancer. A member of our union since 2006, Brother Patterson was a conductor for BNSF, and he had s [...]