On Sunday, April 5, 2009, Kristian Dragge, little brother of Pennywise lead guitarist Fletcher Dragge, tragically passed away at the young age of 39. He left behind his fiancée, Cindy Linn Groeneweg, and their 1-month old baby girl, Avery Nycole Dragge, as well as his mother Karen Dragge. Fletcher had this to say:

My brother Kristian has been a member of the South Bay punk rock scene since 1980 and was at one time the guitar player in the infamous Smut Peddlers. He was a legend in the punk rock community and was well know for his hell-raising antics, along with his fierce loyalty to friends and family. He will be greatly missed by everyone. He has been a huge part of the Pennywise family since Day One.

We are setting up a trust fund for his month old baby girl Avery Nycole, in order to assure that she has everything she'll ever need growing up. Any donations at this time would be greatly appreciated.

Our deepest condolences to his friends and family