Red, white, and blue candles burn in front of the Colonie home where the family of United States Army Staff Sergeant Amy Seyboth Tirador lives.

The 29-year-old died of non-combat-related injuries in Iraq on Wednesday, November 4th.

While her family members traveled to Dover, Delaware on Friday to claim her remains, news of the Colonie native's death was spreading throughout her hometown.

Tim Ryan graduated from South Colonie High School in 1998 with Tirador.

He remembers her as sweet, caring, outgoing, and smart.

"We had homeroom together at one point and I used to copy off of her math and science homework all the time," says Ryan, who now works for the school district.

School district officials say Tirador graduated with a 90 average.

She studied Spanish and was in the school band.

"Amy was not only talented and passionate but she was so much fun," says Karen MacWatters, Tirador's trumpet teacher.  "She would walk into a room, a rehearsal, a concert... and absolutely light up the room with her spirit."

MacWatters remembers how impressed she was to hear that her former student was joining the service in 1999.

"She was the essence of the kind of people that we want in the position that she was in," McWatters says.

Tirador was serving her second tour of duty in Iraq when she died.

She is the first Capital Region woman to die in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ryan tells us, "I think she's very courageous for doing what she was doing and joining the service and - man or woman - I give her a lot of credit and a lot of honor."

Tirador leaves behind her husband, Mickey.

The two met in the Army and had been married for two years.

Tirador's local family members are expected to return to the Capital Region on Saturday.