Fundraiser underway for worker who died at Berkeley job site

The construction worker who died on a job site at a Berkeley elementary school last week was a father of seven and his family's main provider, according to a fundraiser launched in recent days.

"JD was the heart of every room he entered — the kind of person who lit up a space with his laugh, his goofy jokes, and his even goofier dance moves," a relative wrote on GoFundMe. "He made everyone feel welcome, often opening his home to friends and family in need. He had the biggest heart and always put others first."

Jonathan Guidi lived in Sacramento, authorities said previously. He was just 41 years old.

A Cal/OSHA investigation, which can take up to six months to complete, will determine "if any violations of workplace safety regulations are identified," the agency said.

Guidi was working on a construction project at Sylvia Mendez Elementary on Thursday when he fell 30 feet from scaffolding onto the concrete below, according to preliminary details.

The Scanner broke the news about the fatal accident.

According to the GoFundMe campaign, which had raised more than $10,000 from 93 people as of publication time, Guidi was his family's primary financial provider.

"In the midst of heartbreak, his wife is now faced with the overwhelming responsibility of caring for their children, grieving this devastating loss, and trying to figure out how to make ends meet," his sister-in-law, Katrina Berryman, wrote. "There are simply no words to describe the hole his absence leaves behind."

The money raised will help with funeral and memorial expenses, as well as living expenses including children's school supplies, while "giving this family some breathing room to grieve without financial panic," Berryman wrote.

(The family did not reply to a request for further information.)

The Scanner is working to learn more about what happened and will continue to report on this incident.