RIP GM Max Pallen

[GeneChing]

I saw Jordan's facebook post yesterday and couldn't quite comprehend it. Anyone in the SF Bay Area Martial Arts circles know the Pallen brothers. Condolences to his family, friends and school.

Martial Arts Instructor Max Pallen Has Died, Brother Says (http://castrovalley.patch.com/articles/martial-arts-instructor-max-pallen-has-died-brother-says#photo-8006331)
Announcement made in a Facebook note from Jordan Pallen.
May 1, 2013
Updated 1 pm

Grandmaster Max Pallen, member of a family that operated martial arts studios in Castro Valley and San Leandro and taught classes in Union City, passed away Tuesday morning according to a note posted on Facebook by his brother, Jordan Pallen.

"On behalf of the Pallen Family, I would like to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers," Jordan Pallen wrote. "Please add extra prayer for my mom and dad, who is taking it really hard."

The note offered no additional information about the cause of death.

At about 8:30 am Tuesday Pleasanton police found the body of a man at Pleasanton Regional Park. No foul play was suspected in that death, authorities reported at the time.

Just after noon on Wednesday, the Alameda County Coroner's Bureau identified that man as 46-year-old Max Pallen, Jr.

The coroner said he was found dead in an apparent suicide.



UPDATE: Man Found Dead at Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park (http://pleasanton.patch.com/articles/pleasanton-ridge-regional-park-closed-due-to-police-investigation)
The man was found dead at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday and no foul play is suspected.
By Patrick Creaven and Autumn Johnson
April 30, 2013
Update 3:45 p.m.

A Pleasanton man was found dead at the Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park on Tuesday morning and investigators do not suspect foul play, according to Lt. Jim Knox.

The body was found at about 8 a.m. and the park's staging area, south of Castlewood Drive, was closed for about four hours as officers conducted a death investigation.

Pleasanton police received a report of a missing man Monday evening and late Monday night the man's car was found in the Pleasanton Ridge parking lot.

East Bay Regional Park police, which has jurisdiction over the park, joined the search and the man was found dead at about 8:30 a.m.

The Alameda County Coroner’s will conduct an investigation to determine the official cause of the man’s death.

[GeneChing]

From Fe, Jonathan, and Jojo Pallen:
May 2, 2013

Dear Friends and Family:

On behalf of Jojo, Jonathan and Myself, I wanted to take a moment to say Thank You for all the Love and Support that we have received while we are going through this difficult time.

On April 30, 2013 Max F Pallen Jr. passed away and went to be with the Lord. Thankfully, His death was quick and he did not suffer in death as he did in life. Despite the challenges we faced together ,I am so very grateful that in the past 7 months with our family, he was given a second chance in life and found True Happiness, as everyone deserves that.

My husband, Max F Pallen (aka Jojo) was a very special person. A Teacher, A Mentor and A Friend. The most important thing to him was his family (The boys and myself), his dojo and students and his friends. Every-one of us will carry a memory of him and how he affected our lives. I hope that you will always remember the wonderful, and caring man that he was. A man who always wanted to believe the best in people, and who pushed you to be your very best even when you didn’t believe it yourself.

Keep him in your hearts…as we shall, so that he can live on forever. I am grateful that Max found God in this past year and now lives in Peace with the Lord. The boys and I are comforted knowing that he is in Heaven and he looks down upon us with a smile on his face. It is our belief and sustained Faith that allows us to move on, and look forward to the day that we, his family will be reunited with him.

I ask that all of you who cared for my husband (as a friend, a student, a collegue) to please join us to celebrate HIS LIFE.

The visitation will be held this coming Monday, May 6th at San Ramon Chapel in Danville. The Address is 825 Hartz Way, Danville. Hours: 5-8pm

Memorial Mass will be held on Tuesday, May 7th at our church in Pleasanton, St Augustin’s. Mass will be held at 10:30am.

Jojo, Jonathan and I hope to see you there. And when you see our sons, give them a hug and tell them what a great guy their dad was. Share a memory and perhaps a tear or two.

Thank You Again
Fe, Jojo and Jonathan Pallen Again, condolences. :(

[sanjuro_ronin]

So, we don't know the cause yet, right?

[David Jamieson]

So, we don't know the cause yet, right?

Likely a suicide. At least that's what I read in the original piece.


At about 8:30 am Tuesday Pleasanton police found the body of a man at Pleasanton Regional Park. No foul play was suspected in that death, authorities reported at the time.

Just after noon on Wednesday, the Alameda County Coroner's Bureau identified that man as 46-year-old Max Pallen, Jr.

The coroner said he was found dead in an apparent suicide.

This story will be updated.

[GeneChing]

Likely a suicide. Most of the martial community here are familiar with the back story, but it would be inappropriate for us to discuss that here. Tiger Claw (https://www.tigerclaw.com/home.php) has worked closely with the Pallens over the years. We share their loss.