Justin Fritz

Fritz, Justin Riley.
Riley Fritz, born Justin Randolph Fritz, the daughter of Bruce Fritz and Nancye Fritz of Westport, passed away on Saturday, December 3 in Oakland, California, the victim of a tragic fire that killed 36 people. She was 29.
Born at Norwalk Hospital, Fritz spent her entire childhood in Wesport as Justin Fritz. She was active in youth hockey and in Boy Scouts, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. A gifted musician, she played multiple instruments including bass guitar. She graduated from Staples High School in 2005.
After earning a bachelor of fine arts degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, Justin transitioned genders and changed her name to Riley. She lived in Brooklyn, North Carolina, Ohio and Indiana before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in September.
In every community she lived, Riley built a tight network of friends, as people were drawn to her intelligence, integrity, and gentle personality.
A lover of art, music, books and animals, she was frequently involved in creative projects and adored her pets, including most recently her dog Grimma. Since moving to California, she had been planning to start playing in at least two new bands.
In addition to her parents, she is survived by her brother, Ben Fritz of Los Angeles; sister Amanda Seagaard Parry of Stamford; sister-in-law Alicia Kirk; brother-in-law Steven Parry; nephew Hudson Fritz; nieces Charlotte and Caroline Parry; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
Friends are invited to attend a memorial on Saturday, Dec. 17 at Unitarian Church, 10 Lyons Plains Rd, Westport, at 1pm. People are invited to pay their respects until 3:30 pm at the church.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Riley may be made to the Trevor Project (www.thetrevorproject.org) or The Connecticut Humane Society (www.cthumane.org). The Harding Funeral Home in Westport, CT is assisting the family with the arrangements. Condolences for the Fritz family may be left on line at www.hardingfuneral.com