Friends, family mourn Mizzou student and Kickapoo grad Riley Strain at funeral service

One day when Riley Strain was about 4 years old, he was decked out in green while talking to a friend of his mother's. The friend told the little boy that he looked nice.

Strain quickly replied, "You know, green makes you look good."

That's why Friday, friends and family of the late University of Missouri student and Kickapoo High School graduate wore green to celebrate the life of Riley Strain. A line to speak to family formed inside Greenlawn Funeral Home East in Springfield as cars circled the already packed parking lot.

Strain, 22, disappeared while on a trip to Nashville with fellow members of the Delta Chi fraternity in early March. He became separated from the group after being asked to leave a Broadway bar, and he never returned to the hotel.

The disappearance drew national attention and prompted a massive search of the downtown Nashville area and the Cumberland River. Strain's body was located in the river 8 miles from downtown in west Nashville on March 22. A preliminary report showed that Strain's death was likely accidental.

Joseph Cockell, one of Strain's friends and former teammates, shared his memories in a speech at the service. He said he remembers warming up with Strain before baseball games and jumping off the dock at the lake. Cockell said the lesson he learned from Strain was not to overthink — to always stay in the moment.

"I can't put into words how much I miss hearing his voice," Cockell said.

Anthony Kristensen, one of Strain's college friends, also attended Friday's celebration of life. He said he wasn't the closest to Strain, but he'll miss the positive, goofy guy he knew from school. He said the crowd at the celebration of life was a testament to how much the community will miss Strain.

"You can just see by the amount of people here who knew him, who loved him and still love him," Kristensen said. "He really had a profound impact on the people he came into contact with."

A couple of years older, Kristensen attended the University of Missouri with Strain. He said there are no words to describe how it feels when you hear that a friend has gone missing.

"I'm doing my best given the circumstances," Kristensen said. "When our mutual friend sent me the message of what was going on — you know, missing — there's not really anything you can say that would describe what goes into your head. You just kind of hope for something to come up. Something positive."

More: Vigil held for missing Mizzou student Riley Strain as Nashville search continues

A major in business and financial planning at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Strain had landed an internship with Northwestern Mutual. He also earned the prestigious Presidential Medal for Volunteering from the Wonders of Wildlife in Springfield after dedicating more than 500 hours of his time.

Strain loved the outdoors. According to his obituary posted by Greenlawn Funeral Home, he loved hunting, fishing, and finding peace at the lake. His competitive spirit came out to play when it came to tennis matches and his recent interest in the art of Jiujitsu. He took special pride in hosting a fish fry or grilling a steak to perfection.

Strain is survived by his parents, Michelle and Chris Whiteid and Ryan and Milli Gilbert; siblings Brooke Dunbar and Brock Hale; and grandparents Rosa Lee Strain, Wayne and Eilene Whiteid, Debra Gilbert, Robert and A.J. Gilbert, and Clarence and Rosie Graves.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Friends, family celebrate Riley Strain's life at Springfield service