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Riske, Charles Whitmore III "Whit", passed away October 30, 2011 of an apparent heart attack while running a half marathon in Los Angeles, California.
Whit was born on July 1, 1974 in Asheville, North Carolina, the son of Carolyn and Charles W. Riske, Jr. He graduated from Coronado High School in Scottsdale, Arizona, and earned a B.S. in Construction Management at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he was a beloved leader of Sigma Nu Fraternity. He served in the United States Army for three years in honor of his grandfather, father and country.
At the time of his death, Whit was Managing Partner of Catalyst Development Partners Inc., a boutique design-build real estate company working on both multi-family apartment concepts and large-scale solar photovoltaic systems for commercial real estate. He was a LEED Accredited Professional, licensed General Contractor and prior to forming Catalyst, was Southern California Vice President of Wentz Group and a Senior Project Manager with Snyder Langston.
He was devoted to his wife, Jill, whom he met and began dating at NAU in 1998 and married in 2009. Jill is expecting their first child in February. Whit was a loving son and a caring brother.
Whit was an inspiration to us all, as he lived every day as if it was his last. He truly marched to the beat of his own drum. Whit was Whit. He was intensely passionate about all he held dear, most importantly, love of his family, friends, fun, and work. He could light up a room with his infectious smile. To sum up Whit, his mother-in-law, Judy Crane, nicknamed him "WOW" - Wonderful Outstanding Whit.
Supporting various outreach and professional organizations, Whit was an active member of the community. He was a board member of NAIOP SoCal, Chair of the Alumni Committee of Young Professionals Group (YPG), a member of Urban Land Institute (ULI), and a member of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Whit was also a member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization, where he was recently assigned his first "little brother" to mentor.
Whit is survived by his wife, Jill Crane Riske; his baby girl-to-be, Scarlett; his parents, Chuck and Carolyn Riske; sister, Robin Riske (Mason Myers); brother, Kurt Riske; and grandmother, Wynona Benz.
A celebration to honor Whit will be held at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach, California on Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 11:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the "Baby Riske Fund" via PayPal at theriskefamily@gmail.com or Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County. O'Connor Mortuary
(949) 581-4300
www.oconnormortuary.com
Published in Orange County Register on November 3, 2011
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