Posted at: 11/06/2009 12:12 PM
Updated at: 11/06/2009 2:15 PM
By: WNYT Staff

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1998 South Colonie H.S. grad dies in Iraq

COLONIE -- Staff Sgt. Amy Seyboth Tirador, a 1998 graduate of Colonie Central High School, died in Iraq of non-combat injuries on Wednesday. She is the first woman from the Capital Region to die in the Iraq or Afghanistan wars.

NewsChannel 13 was at the American Legion Post in Albany back in 2005, when Amy's family surprised her and her boyfriend with a party. She spoke that day about what it's like to live in Iraq.

Seyboth Tirador, 29, was also one of the soldiers who offered a holiday greeting from Iraq during Christmas 2004. Her father told the Times-Union they were notified of Amy's death Wednesday night and will travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware Friday to claim her remains.

A release from the Colonie Central School District:

She was working as an Arabic-speaking interrogator on her second tour of duty at the time of her death. She enlisted the U.S. Army in 1999, and had lived in Washington State the last few years. Amy met her husband, Mickey, also serving in Iraq, while serving in the Army in Germany. They married two years ago.

“This is a terrible loss for our South Colonie family and our thoughts and prayers are with Amy’s husband and her family,” said Jonathan Buhner, South Colonie Superintendent of Schools.

According to military reports, Seyboth Tirador had seen action and saved at least one American life during her first tour of duty when she served as a medic. In 2004, she was credited with saving an American soldier who had been shot down during a convoy mission, the Times Union newspaper reported.

Seyboth Tirador was a member of the National Honor Society and a Regents graduate at Colonie Central High School, finishing her four years of study with a 90 average and ranking 59th in a class of 384 students. She studied Spanish through Level 6, took college-level economics through Hudson Valley Community College, was a member of the school Key Club and a four-year member of the school band. She played trumpet in the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Orchestra.

Colonie Central High School counselors were made available to help any students or staff who made need support dealing with the tragedy.