‘Gentle spirit’: Marin victim of dive boat fire remembered
Friends and family of Lisa Fiedler — a Mill Valley woman who died in a boat inferno off the Southern California coast — remembered her as daring, kind and passionate about the sea.
Fiedler, 52, of Mill Valley, was one of 33 deaths in the catastrophe early Monday in the Channel Islands. The Conception, a 75-foot boat on a three-day diving excursion, burst into flames during the night while anchored off Santa Cruz Island.
Fiedler, who worked as a hairstylist at Dagaz Salon in Mill Valley, was described this week by friends and family as an avid nature photographer, adventurer and beloved friend and daughter.
“She truly was the kindest, gentlest, most optimistic person I’ve probably ever known,” said Alicia Love, a friend and coworker. “She was independent, adventurous and didn’t let anything hold her back.”
Love, a San Rafael resident, said she met Fiedler, a Michigan native, when she moved to Marin more than 13 years ago. Their relationship evolved from being coworkers to close friends who went on trips together and shared a passion for live music.
On a recent tour, the band Radiohead performed at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley on a stormy night. Love and Fiedler wore ponchos and “braved the rain” to see the band perform at the outdoor venue, Love said.
“It was totally worth it to see one of our favorite bands,” Love said.
Another passion of Fiedler’s was the ocean, Love said, noting that her friend spent time living in Sausalito and Stinson Beach to be by the water.
“She had to be in it or near it,” Love said.
Lisa’s mother, Nancy Fiedler, who lives in Corte Madera, told ABC7 News that her daughter loved to dive and even thought of herself as “part fish.”
“Everybody loved her. She was a kind, gentle person. She was a naturalist, she loved nature,” Fiedler said.
Jeffrey Trotter, artistic director at Independent Cabaret Productions in San Francisco, said he heard from a mutual friend that Fiedler was among the fire victims. He said he got to know Fiedler when they both lived in Stinson Beach about five years ago.
“I was so sorry to hear that news,” Trotter said. “Lisa was an avid diver. She was constantly going all over the world to dive.”
“I would see her around town and say hello. She walked her dog a lot,” he said. “She was always interested in the little art projects I was working on. She was interested in people’s lives in general. She was just a magnificent spirit.”
Trotter said he once did landscaping work for Fiedler’s parents in Corte Madera. In return, Fielder, who worked as a hairstylist, gave him free haircuts.
“She used to give me a haircut in Stinson Beach whenever I wanted it,” Trotter said. “Lisa was a really gentle spirit.”
The Bay Area News Group and Marin IJ reporter Richard Halstead contributed to this report.