Former R.I. musician, Brown graduate among Oakland fire victims

Former Rhode Island musician Nick Gomez-Hall, a Brown University graduate who played with the punk-rock band Nightmom and worked in public service in Providence, is among confirmed victims of the Oakland "Ghost Ship" warehouse fire, according to friends and Brown officials. 

The confirmed death toll was 36 as of Monday afternoon, with more victims expected to be found in the rubble in the coming days. Eleven of those killed have been identified, including Gomez-Hall.

The Alameda County Coroner's Office on Sunday identified Gomez-Hall, 25, of Coronado, California, as one of the victims. Friends said he had moved back to his native state earlier this year. 

Tributes poured in Monday on social media.  

On Nightmom's Facebook page, bandmate Travis Lloyd wished Gomez-Hall "eternal peace."

"There's no one better or more beloved than you," Lloyd wrote Monday morning. "You are a muse to so many and will never stop guiding us. We will love you forever, Nick. Truly gliding."

Another Facebook post recalled Gomez-Hall as "a brilliant musician and artist and human." Still another mourned him as "a bright spot on Brown's music scene and a treasure to all who knew him."

Nightmom's Bandcamp page describes the band as a "Rattlesnake-rock duo, truly gliding." Gomez-Hall played guitar and vocals. The site lists touring dates around the country and in Canada.

The Swearer Center released a statement Monday afternoon:

“The staffs of the Swearer Center for Public Service and the D’Abate Community School are deeply saddened by the death of Nicolas Gomez-Hall, who perished in the Oakland warehouse fire this weekend. Nick, a 2013 graduate of Brown University, played an integral role in the Swearer Community during his time in Providence. Our thoughts and prayers are with Nick’s loved ones at this time ...  We will celebrate Nick’s life and contributions to the community at a later date.”

As an undergraduate student, Nick volunteered with Brown Arts Mentoring at Asa Messer School, the statement said. After he graduated, he worked part-time as a program coordinator for the Swearer Center’s after-school program at the D’Abate Community School in Olneyville.

In April 2015, Gomez-Hall wrote a story in "Swearer Sparks," a website run by the Swearer Center, about his his role at the D'Abate school.  

While the new job presented challenges, Gomez-Hall wrote of his "deep commitment and love" for the community. Prior to moving to Olneyville Square, Gomez-Hall had spent time there "for years before that, participating in community art and music events, walking and riding my bike around these streets and parks, and eating tacos as often as possible ..."

He cared about Olneyville's "people, its parks, its river, its history, and about its long-term well-being." He wanted to keep giving back, and improving the community, "in my own way, as best I can."

Most recently, he was working for Counterpoint Press in Berkeley, which posted a Twitter tribute Monday:

"@CounterpointLLC is brokenhearted to share that we lost one of our own in the tragic Oakland warehouse fire. From the second Nick started at Counterpoint, he became part of our family ... Counterpoint mourns the loss of an extraordinary co-worker and a true friend."

—kziner@providencejournal.com

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On Twitter: @karenleez