MySource:BobC/Death in Palo Alto House Fire (2014)

Newspaper Stories

The following newspaper articles were written on the house fire that killed Donald Schoennauer on 10 Jan 2014.

The Palo Alto Article

Newspaper: Palo Alto Online (Palo Alto, California)
Title: Two dead in Palo Alto house fire are identified
Author: Sue Dremann (Palo Alto Weekly)
Date: 10 Jan 2014 (9:11 pm)
Link: http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2014/01/10/two-reported-dead-in-palo-alto-house-fire

Article Text:

Two dead in Palo Alto house fire are identified

Palo Alto High School graduates were best friends for life

Two men who were found dead after a Palo Alto house fire have been identified as Donald Schoennauer and his best friend, Ed Martin, a family member of Schoennauer said. Both were 64 years old.

Lifelong buddies who graduated from Palo Alto High School, they spent years together performing in a rock band, and when Schoennauer became ill, Martin became his dedicated caretaker, nephew Erik Schoennauer said.

The best friends died on Friday evening, Jan. 10, after a fire broke out in Schoennauer's home at 988 Embarcadero Road, according to Palo Alto police and fire officials.

Fire units were dispatched to the green, one-story home at 7:17 p.m., and the announcement of the fatalities was made at 8:54 p.m. According to property records, the 1,300-square-foot house was built in 1949.

Firefighters contained the blaze -- which appeared to have started in the kitchen, an initial investigation indicated -- within 10 minutes, police spokesman Lt. Zach Perron said. But Embarcadero Road remained closed to traffic between Greer and Louis roads while firefighters and police completed their work.

Firefighters struggled with a heavy fire load within the home, Palo Alto Battalion Chief Niles Broussard said.

Schoennauer's mother, Urania, 91, also lived in the residence, but she was at a care home recovering from a health condition at the time of the fire, Erik Schoennauer said.

Donald Schoennauer, a Vietnam veteran, had been his mother's primary caretaker for the past 25 years. He has significant physical and mental health conditions as a result of the war, which worsened in the past five years, his nephew said.

"He had the side effects of Agent Orange and a liver condition from Hepatitis C, which he contracted there. His mental health issues were what we would more commonly refer to today as PTSD," he said.

Schoennauer had trouble walking. "He could walk, but it was a struggle to get up, and a struggle to slowly shuffle to walk. Since it was a struggle to move, obviously, it was a struggle to get out in a fire," he said.

"He was a very caring person. In his war experiences, he saw the worst that can come out of people. It influenced him to be more compassionate and to be the counterbalance to everything he saw there," his nephew said.

Schoennauer was a great caretaker to his mother, he added.

"He would do anything for you," his nephew said.

Schoennauer was born on Feb. 25, 1949, and the family lived in East Palo Alto until he attended high school. His parents, Daryl and Urania, purchased the Embarcadero Road home when Schoennauer was in high school.

He and Martin graduated from Paly in 1967, and in 1968, Schoennauer volunteered for the Marine Corps. He completed boot camp at Camp Pendleton, then he served in the Vietnam War between 1969 and 1970 during the Tet Offensive. In the 1st Marine Division, he was responsible for defending the Da Nang Air Base.

"He was a maverick kid of the 60s. His political thinking and lifestyle emanated from his war experiences. They guided everything he did," he said.

Schoennauer became a charter member of the Santa Cruz-based VFW Post 5888, which was strongly opposed to U.S. foreign policies in the 1980s. He was proudest of his contributions to create a health clinic as part of the Vietnam Friendship Village Project USA.

His time on leave in Thailand during the war and his experiences in Vietnam led to a lifelong interest in Asian culture and cuisine. In the 1970s, he traveled to Europe and spent time with family in Italy. In the 1908s, he lived in a commune in the hills above Scotts Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountains. He played bass guitar and Martin played lead in a band, which performed regularly in Santa Cruz area and the South Bay clubs, his nephew said.

"They were both great musicians. Ed was a magnificent player. He was somebody who just loved his music. He would go into the garage and just play the guitar by himself," Erik Schoennauer recalled.

Martin's mother is believed to live in Missouri. He had a brother and a sister; the sister lived in Arizona, but she is thought to be deceased, Erik Schoennauer said.

Firefighters believe the blaze began in the kitchen. The Santa Clara County Arson Task Force is investigating the cause jointly with Palo Alto police and fire departments, Perron said on Friday. But the arson team's involvement is routine after fire-related deaths, and it does not indicate there was any arson involved, he said.

Neighbor Robert Hof said he was alerted to the blaze by a girl who lives across the street. The fire appeared to have ignited suddenly, he said, as just minutes before he had been cooking in his kitchen, which faces his neighbor's home, and all was normal.

After being alerted, he looked out of his kitchen window, and there were flames "coming out of the house. There were 20-foot flames."

One witness told the Weekly the flames stretched as high as the power lines.

Hof said that Schoennauer kept to himself. The last time he saw him was a month ago.

Martin had "an incredible intellect. He was very knowledgeable about current affairs. Ed was always a buddy. They were close forever -- since high school," he said.

Donald Schoennauer was very well read. He was an avid reader of history and foreign policy, and he watched every movie ever made, his nephew said.

In his youth, Schoennauer was a competitive roller skater, and he traveled the region and the nation. In 1960, he was the national champion in the juvenile division at age 11. In 1964, he placed third in the national junior division at age 15. But he stopped roller skating competitively in high school, his nephew said.

While living in the Santa Cruz Mountains, he earned his pilot's license and flew aircraft out of Scotts Valley. In the 1990s, he earned a physician's assistant degree from Foothill College. He moved in with his mother and became her primary caregiver.

Martin moved in and helped with his day-to-day needs after Schoennauer's condition worsened. The Palo Alto VA Home Health Care program also frequently visited the home.

Schoennauer is survived by his mother, Urania, brother Gary, nephew Eric, and two grandnieces, Kennedy and Landry, and he was particularly proud of the girls. His father, Daryl, died in 1972. Schoennauer was previously married to Elizabeth for 10 years. The couple had no children.

Services are pending, but are likely to be private in keeping with Schoennauer's nature, his nephew said.

The Almanac Article

Newspaper: The Almanac (Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley, Woodside, California)
Title: Two men dead in Palo Alto house fire
Author: Sue Dremann (Palo Alto Weekly)
Date: 13 Jan 2014 (10:04 am)
Link: http://www.almanacnews.com/news/2014/01/13/two-men-dead-in-palo-alto-house-fire

Article Text:

Two men dead in Palo Alto house fire

Relative of one of the dead said the two victims had lived in the Embarcadero Road house

Two men who were found dead after a Palo Alto house fire have been identified as Donald Schoennauer and his best friend, Ed Martin, a family member of Schoennauer said.

Both men were 64 years old and graduated from Palo Alto High School. They were lifelong friends, nephew Erik Schoennauer said.

The fire broke out on Friday night in Schoennauer's home at 988 Embarcadero Road, according to Palo Alto police and fire officials.

Fire units were dispatched to the green, one-story home at 7:17 p.m., and the announcement of the fatalities was made at 8:54 p.m.

Schoennauer's mother, Urania, 91, also lived with him and Martin, but she was at a care home recovering from a health condition at the time of the fire, Erik Schoennauer said.

Schoennauer had been his mother's caretaker for the past 25 years. He was born on Feb. 25, 1949, and the family lived in East Palo Alto until he attended high school. His parents Daryl and Urania purchased the Embarcadero Road home when Schoennauer was in high school. Daryl Schoennauer died in 1972.

Martin and Schoennauer graduated from Paly in 1967. In 1968, Schoennauer volunteered for the Marine Corps and completed boot camp at Camp Pendleton. He served in the Vietnam War between 1969 and 1970 during the Tet Offensive. In the 1st Marine Division, he was responsible for defending the Danang Air Base.

Neighbor Robert Hof told the Weekly that Schoennauer was reclusive and hardly talked with anyone. The last time Hof spoke with him was about a month ago, he said.

Another neighbor told TV news crews that he thought the veteran had been very poor health, as he also had not seen him for a long time. He said a caretaker lived in the home as well.

Hof was alerted to the fire by a girl who lives across the street. The blaze appeared to have ignited suddenly, he said, as just minutes before he had been cooking in his kitchen, which faces his neighbor's home, and all was normal.

After being alerted, he looked out of his kitchen window, and there were flames "coming out of the house. There were 20-foot flames."

One witness told the Weekly the flames stretched as high as the power lines.

Palo Alto police Lt. Zach Perron said that the bodies were found inside the home, but he would not disclose the exact locations. The cause of the fire is under investigation, he said.

The Santa Clara County Arson Task Force has been called to investigate, but Perron said the group's involvement is "routine" when there's been a residential fire resulting in deaths. The Task Force began work Sunday, after gases typically found in homes had a chance to dissipate, according to police.

According to property records, the 1,300-square-foot house was built in 1949.

Firefighters contained the blaze -- which appeared to have started in the kitchen, an initial investigation indicated -- within 10 minutes, Perron said. But Embarcadero Road remained closed to traffic between Greer and Louis roads while firefighters and police completed their work.

In his youth, Schoennauer was a competitive roller skater. He traveled the region and the nation for competitions. In 1960, he was the national champion in the juvenile division at age 11. In 1964, he placed third in the national junior division at age 15. But he stopped roller skating competitively in high school, Erik Schoennauer said.

Schoennauer's time off in Thailand and his experiences in Vietnam led to a lifelong interest in Asian culture and cuisine.

In the 1970s, he traveled to Europe and spent time with family in Italy, his nephew said.

He lived in a commune in the hills above Scotts Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountains during the 1980s. He played lead guitar and Martin played bass guitar in a band, which performed regularly in clubs in the Santa Cruz area and the South Bay, his nephew said.

"They were both great musicians. Ed was a magnificent bass player. He was somebody who just loved his music. He would go into the garage and just play the guitar by himself," Erik Schoennauer recalled of Martin.

His uncle earned his pilot's license at this time, and flew aircraft out of Scotts Valley.

But his proudest achievement was becoming a charter member of the Santa Cruz-based VFW Post 5888. The post was somewhat of a maverick, and was strongly opposed to U.S. foreign policies in the 1980s.

Schoennauer also helped to create a health clinic as part of the Vietnam Friendship Village Project. The project was a way to right some of the wrongs he felt he saw during the war, his nephew said.

The Mercuty News Article

Newspaper: The Mercury News Peninsula (San Jose, California)
Title: Palo Alto: Fire at home where bodies were found was accidental
Author: Jason Green (Daily News)
Date: 15 Jan 2014 (6:08 am)
Link: http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_24913072/palo-alto-fire-at-home-where-bodies-were

Article Text:

Palo Alto: Fire at home where bodies were found was accidental

The fire at a Palo Alto home where two bodies were found Friday has been ruled accidental, police said.

Police and firefighters were called to the one-story abode at 988 Embarcadero Road at about 7:15 p.m. One eyewitness reported seeing flames as high as 15 feet shooting from a kitchen window.

Both of the bodies were found inside the burning home. The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office is still conducting an investigation, but police said there was no evidence of foul play.

"While the full results of their investigation remain pending, they have determined that there is no indication of homicide or suicide," Lt. Zach Perron said in a news release Tuesday.

The coroner's office has yet to release the names of the victims or an official cause of death, but a relative of one of the victims identified them as Don Schoennauer and Ed Martin. Both men graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1967 and were lifelong friends.

"It's very shocking," said Don's only nephew Erik Schoennauer. "It's very haunting to contemplate how awful this had to be for Don and Ed. No one should ever have their life end this way."

Martin was the primary caregiver for Don, a disabled Vietnam War veteran, and Don's 91-year-old mother Urania Schoennauer, the nephew said. Urania was recovering from some health issues at a local care facility and was not at the home when the blaze broke out.

The Santa Clara County Joint Arson Investigation Task Force, together with investigators from the police and fire departments, examined the charred home over the weekend. Public safety agencies routinely call upon the task force to assist in the probes of fatal house fires, according to Perron.

The fire was ultimately classified as accidental.

The investigation revealed that the fire started in the kitchen. Two possible ignition sources were identified -- an electrical appliance and cigarette smoking materials. Due to extensive damage in the area of the fire's origin, investigators were unable to determine the exact cause or ignition source.

Erik Schoennauer said a coffee pot and toaster were in the corner of the kitchen where the blaze broke out.

It took firefighters about 10 minutes to bring the fire under control. No other homes were damaged.

In an interview Tuesday, Erik Schoennauer offered a glimpse into the lives of the lifelong friends who perished together.

Don Schoennauer was a competitive roller skater in his youth, winning the juvenile division of the national championships at age 11 and placing third in the junior division at age 15, his nephew said.

His uncle traded his roller skates for fatigues in 1968, when he voluntarily joined the Marine Corps. After boot camp, he was shipped to Vietnam and helped defend Da Nang Air Base. The war experience fundamentally shaped the rest of Don Schoennauer's life, his nephew said.

"While in Vietnam, I think he felt that he saw the worst in people," he said.

"Once he was back, he grew to believe that war was not the answer. He felt that there was a need to build bridges between people in Vietnam and here, to work toward peace and to try to restore the damage that was done there during the war."

He was a charter member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5888 in Santa Cruz. The post became known for the strong positions it took against U.S. foreign policy in the 1980s, his nephew said. He also raised funds for a health clinic in Vietnam through the Vietnam Friendship Village Project.

The war took a toll on Don Schoennauer's mental and physical well-being, his nephew said. He was exposed to Agent Orange, contracted Hepatitis C and battled post-traumatic stress disorder for the rest of his life.

But he left Asia with a deep love for its culture. He collected statues of Buddha and other curios.

After returning from Vietnam, Don Schoennauer lived in a commune in the hills above Scotts Valley, his nephew said. He and Martin played together in a rock 'n' roll band in the 1970s and 1980s.

"They were great guitar musicians, especially Ed," said Erik Schoennauer. "Ed loved his music up until the end. At the house on Embarcadero, he would go into the garage with his guitar and just play by himself. He enjoyed it so much."

Don Schoennauer was married for 10 years but had no children, his nephew said. When his widowed mother's health started to fail, he moved in to care for her and even earned a physician's assistant degree from Foothill College.

Martin joined the pair more than a decade ago and eventually became his friend's caretaker. Myriad health issues left Don Schoennauer struggling just to shuffle around the house.

"He was a good friend to have," Erik Schoennauer said about Martin.