Brett Streza, a 1981 graduate of Alliance High School, led a storybook life until losing a courageous, two-year battle with cancer in 2005. While at AHS, Brett was a good student and a standout in football and track and field. After graduation, he enrolled at Ohio University where he studied Political Science and Criminal Justice and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Brett was a “walk-on” on Ohio U’s track and field team where he excelled in the pole vault. After two years he earned an athletic scholarship and was selected team captain his senior year. Brett rose from being a “walk-on” pole-vaulter to finishing his collegiate career as a world-class vaulter, accomplishing a rare feat of clearing 17’3”.
Following a short period as a police officer in Rocky River, Ohio, Brett became a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Air Force. He served for ten years as a Navigator on a KC-135 air refueling aircraft, flying missions all over the world. He was selected to be in charge of training for the entire navigator force and he instilled many young officers with his high level of excellence. His Air Force service included being a Veteran of the 1991 Persian Gulf War and earning the coveted “Silver Wings” award.
In 1994, Brett met Loretta, who was also serving in the Air Force, while they were stationed in North Dakota. In November of 1995 they were deployed together to Saudi Arabia and flew a mission over Iraq on Christmas Day wearing Santa Claus hats and listening to Christmas music throughout the aircraft. They married in 1996 while stationed back in North Dakota and became parents to two daughters, Nicole and Shannon.
Following completion of his military service, Brett fulfilled a childhood dream by becoming a Special Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1999. His first duty assignment was in San Francisco and in 2003 he was transferred to El Paso, Texas. In addition to his normal duties he was also a reconnaissance pilot with the Bureau. But, sadly it was here that Brett’s storybook life ended with chapters still to be written, but done so by others. Nicole and Shannon will graduate from high school in 2016. One wants to be a school teacher and the other a dermatologist.
Fellow FBI Agent Steven Grassie was on the track team with Brett at Ohio U. where they became good friends. They both joined the Air Force following graduation and the FBI following their military service. Putting all of Brett’s accomplishments into perspective, his friend for more than twenty years wrote, “For he was above all things a loving husband and dedicated father who constantly placed the needs of his family and others ahead of his own.”
(Sources include www.brettstrezafund.org.)
Following a short period as a police officer in Rocky River, Ohio, Brett became a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Air Force. He served for ten years as a Navigator on a KC-135 air refueling aircraft, flying missions all over the world. He was selected to be in charge of training for the entire navigator force and he instilled many young officers with his high level of excellence. His Air Force service included being a Veteran of the 1991 Persian Gulf War and earning the coveted “Silver Wings” award.
In 1994, Brett met Loretta, who was also serving in the Air Force, while they were stationed in North Dakota. In November of 1995 they were deployed together to Saudi Arabia and flew a mission over Iraq on Christmas Day wearing Santa Claus hats and listening to Christmas music throughout the aircraft. They married in 1996 while stationed back in North Dakota and became parents to two daughters, Nicole and Shannon.
Following completion of his military service, Brett fulfilled a childhood dream by becoming a Special Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1999. His first duty assignment was in San Francisco and in 2003 he was transferred to El Paso, Texas. In addition to his normal duties he was also a reconnaissance pilot with the Bureau. But, sadly it was here that Brett’s storybook life ended with chapters still to be written, but done so by others. Nicole and Shannon will graduate from high school in 2016. One wants to be a school teacher and the other a dermatologist.
Fellow FBI Agent Steven Grassie was on the track team with Brett at Ohio U. where they became good friends. They both joined the Air Force following graduation and the FBI following their military service. Putting all of Brett’s accomplishments into perspective, his friend for more than twenty years wrote, “For he was above all things a loving husband and dedicated father who constantly placed the needs of his family and others ahead of his own.”
(Sources include www.brettstrezafund.org.)
