Teresa Alana Cachia

Teresa was born March 4, 1980, in Knoxville, Tennessee to Joseph and Brenda Cachia. She was unmarried at the time of her death, but survived by her significant other, Shaun Smith.

She received her high school diploma from Community College High School, North Las Vegas in 1998, where she was salutatorian of her class. Teresa continued her education at the Community College of Southern Nevada, where she received her Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts.

Her passion to make beautiful desserts that people would love to eat led her to work in the restaurant industry, ultimately becoming a pastry chef at Piero’s Italian Cuisine, Lupo and China Grill at Mandalay Bay, N9NE and Nove at Palms, and restaurants at MGM Grand. Work as a pastry chef was physically demanding, with Teresa leaving after injuries to find other positions in the restaurant and food industries. She worked as a personal chef, a caterer, and went into business with her mother for special occasion cakes.

Teresa was especially saddened by the unexpected loss of her mother in 2015. Teresa was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 34 and with epilepsy last year.

She loved creating great food, pastry and otherwise, socializing with friends and family, and playing with her Chihuahua, Pumpkin.

She is survived by her father, Joseph; her older sister, Becky (Spouse Mark); her older brother, Stephen (Spouse Kris); and her three nieces, Rachel, Isabelle, and Kaitlyn.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations are made in Teresa’s name to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2:00 p.m., June 24, 2017 at the Palm Eastern Mortuary. A reception will follow the service at 3:00 p.m.