She was on the phone with her husband when the condo was shaking. Her body was just found
Early on the morning of June 24, Mike Stratton awoke to the sound of his cellphone ringing. It was his wife, Cassie Stratton, on the other end, speaking frantically about their condo building shaking. She told him she saw a sinkhole where the pool out her window used to be. Then the line went dead.
“It was 1:30 a.m. I’ll never, never forget that,” he said.
Monday, June 21, was the last time Mike saw Cassie, when he departed Miami on a business trip to Washington.
Now, she has been identified as one of the residents killed in the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside. Her body was recovered on Saturday, police said Monday.
“Her husband, Mike, and family again thank everyone who prayed for Cassie over the past two weeks and reiterated their eternal gratitude to the rescue workers whose courage and determination was unmatched,’’ the family said in a statement emailed to the Herald Monday. “Mike and Cassie’s family respectfully request privacy as they mourn and prepare for her memorial service.”
The couple had lived in the building for about four years, said Mike, 66. He works as a Democratic strategist, splitting his time between Denver, Washington, D.C., and Miami. In the 2018 film “The Front Runner,” which starred Hugh Jackman and was about Colorado Sen. Gary Hart’s fall from political grace, actor Alex Karpovsky played a younger version of Stratton.
Cassie, 40, worked as a model, actress and Pilates instructor, splitting her time between Miami and New York City. She is survived by a daughter, Ariana.
In a statement, Mike expressed his love and admiration for his wife and praised the search-and-recovery teams who found her remains.
“Cassie meant so much to so many, and everything to me. Hearts around the world are breaking as friends and family accept the loss of a bright and kind soul with an adventurous spirit,” the statement said. “That spirit now lives in all our hearts as we will forever remember the love she gave and keep her memory alive in stories that make us laugh and smile. Her talent and determination allowed her to accomplish so much in her short life and leave a mark that will last the rest of ours.
“Cassie fiercely and fearlessly loved her daughter, her family, her friends and, of course, our cats, Cyrus and Oliver. This wasn’t the miracle we prayed for, but it was not for lack of trying by rescue crews whose tireless bravery will never be forgotten. On behalf of my sons, Matt and Sam, and Cassie’s daughter, Ariana, we want to thank everyone who reached out over the past two weeks to offer support, share a story and pray for Cassie. Your love means so much.”
He promised to take care of Ariana “the way you took care of all of us.”
The couple met seven years ago at a Super Bowl party in New York City when the Denver Broncos were playing the Seattle Seahawks in New Jersey’s Meadowlands. They married two years later.
Cassie, originally from New Orleans, has many friends, Mike said, so many that he jokingly coined the phrase “everybody loves Cassie” years ago.
“She was the most fun, vivacious person you could ever imagine,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. “She was full of life, we were always doing something. There are so many interesting places to go in Miami, and we took it all in.”
This story was originally published June 25, 2021 at 6:07 PM.