Kathy Lynn Quijano

Kathy Lynn Quijano was born on June 10, 1958 at Mercy Hospital in San Diego, California at 6:15 a.m. weighing 7 lbs. 4 oz. She is the daughter of James Bernal Quijano and Gwinith Ruth Reames Quijano. Kathy was raised in National City, California with three siblings. She has two sisters, Janie and Maria Elena, and one brother, James.

Kathy attended and graduated from Bonita Vista High School in 1976. She enjoyed some classes more than others, having favorite subjects and teachers.

Kathy enjoyed her college years, which were a challenge with all of the academics and responsibilities, but Kathy was able to manage the balancing act. She earned her Associates degree from Southwestern Community College and later earned her Bachelors degree from San Diego State University. She also pursued graduate school, earning her Masters degree and Teaching Credential from National University.

Fortunately, Kathy enjoyed what she did for a living. Showing a strong work ethic, Kathy worked diligently and did her best to succeed in her career. Her primary occupation was in education. She was employed by the Chula Vista Elementary School District and was a dedicated bilingual kindergarten teacher where she helped young children learn English and get a head start on their education. She loved and cared very much for every child. She looked forward with enthusiasm to each day in her kindergarten classroom.

Kathy was a fun and cool aunt as well as a genuine mother to her nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. She was a natural care taker and was entirely devoted to the care and well being of her parents, James and Ruth.

Kathy enjoyed spending time with her family, traveling, and playing penny slot machines. She is known for her beautiful singing voice, her passion for music and movies, her love of cats, and her favorite indulgence, Chocolate!

Kathy passed away on October 12, 2010 at 4:18 p.m. in the comfort of her home in National City, California after fighting a brave battle against breast cancer. She is survived by her parents James B. Quijano and Gwinith Ruth Reames Quijano; siblings Janie Dempster, Maria Elena Santoyo and James G. Quijano; brother and sister in-laws Rickey Dempster, Paco Santoyo and Elizabeth Quijano; nephews and nieces Robert Dempster, Jennifer Quijano, Paco Santoyo, James L. Quijano, Janina Santoyo, Brandon Dempster, Jerry Dempster, Ashley- Marie Hicks Quijano, Alexander Hughes Quijano and Aubree Jane Hughes; nieces in-law Nicole Dempster, Gaby Santoyo, Lori Quijano and Susan Dempster; great- nephews and nieces Sabrina Quijano, Harlee Quijano, Marcos Santoyo, Jacob Dempster, Briana Santoyo, Nadia Quijano, Victoria Santoyo, Ryan Dempster, Giana Quijano and Angelina Quijano; as well as her loving cat Butterscotch.

Services will be held at The Little Chapel of the Roses on October 20, 2010. Kathy will be laid to rest in Glen Abbey Memorial Park's Nature Garden in Bonita, California.

Simply stated, Kathy was a good and kind person, an individual who will for all time be remembered by her family and friends as being a beloved daughter, sister, aunt and friend who is in God's loving care and forever in everyone's hearts. Everyone whose life she touched will always remember Kathy Lynn Quijano.

FAMILY STORIES, MEMORIES AND MESSAGES

Kathy was a woman with a lot of strength and courage. She never complained while she was ill. She made the best of the terrible circumstances she found herself in. She showed strength by enduring all the treatments she went through and never complained.

I will always admire her strength and courage and use it as an example when I’m faced with adversity.

I will always love and miss you. You will always be in my heart.

With love,

Your sister Janie

Kathy was every niece and nephew’s favorite Aunt. Ask any of the children in the family and every one of them would agree that Kathy was the Aunt that had the biggest impact on them. She was able to relate to all kids and at the same time be the authority figure. Kathy became one of the kids when she was with them, a trait, that very few adults have mastered. Kathy enjoyed being with all the kids as much as they enjoyed being with her.

One time Kathy came with us on vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The boys wanted to go to a Water Park with lots of water slides and water tubes. The boys selected the tallest water slide at the park and talked Kathy into going down the slide. Once she began her decent down the slide Kathy realized that maybe the slide was a bit too tall and steep for her comfort zone. However, the trip down the slide was too late for her to turn back as she had already begun her decent. Kathy screamed at the top of her lungs all the way down, trying to slow down by placing her hands on the side of the slide. As she continued her trip down the slide she managed to clear everyone at the landing pool out of the water with her screaming. The boys, Rick and I were in tears enjoying Kathy’s panic. Once Kathy managed to get out of the water and joined us on the ground her response was “I think I will stick to the Lazy River for the rest of the day.”

Kathy will always be in our hearts for her love of life and fun. Kathy went on many vacations with us over the many years of our marriage. Kathy made all our vacations much more enjoyable and memorable. Because of Kathy’s great relationship with everyone in the family, including all three boys, she was the Aunt that “you never leave home without.”

With love,

Janie and Rickey Dempster

Kathy was my sister and my best friend. I am proud to say that she was right alongside of me in every major event of my life. She was my shopping buddy, my traveling companion, and my casino partner. She was my private GPS. We shared times of sadness and times of happiness. We shared secrets and shared many friends. We loved, laughed, played and cried together. She was my best friend who will always hold a very special place in my heart and soul.

Love always,

Maria Elena Santoyo

Hola !!!!!!

I’d like to tell you how much, I will miss you, but at same time, I say how grateful I am with life, because all the stuff we did together and we really enjoy each other, doing things very wild and having the good luck to survive and learn the lesson. There is so much more than I remember with your lovely smile and easy personality, that it is not going to be a dull moment........without your fond memory ..........

By other side, I appreciate the friendship and tolerance that you shared with me

at all times. I will miss my lunch ready when I was going late for work and you had it ready on my way to the door. Also times when you had a hard time with your

figure, I never stopped asking you to dance with me, or taking a ride in my car in the crook street in San Francisco for you to see it, or pushing you to the limit in Las Piramides de Teotihuacan in a way that you do not miss anything, or, the time when we picked the Semaforo in Mexico City and ran with it. The great moments in Disneyland and California adventure, the rain soak when we were doing something, a "mission", having fun and all those hotels and motels with Elena and you every time when we hit the road to happiness, Casinos, then see you "working" night shifts with Elena, and me reading or seeing movies in the room and swimming pools and spas. I can spend the night with my souvenirs, but I really want to focus in that pretty girl with dark long hair and millionaire smile, then grew a beautiful woman in my life for about forty years, and make my time very interesting, as like Elena and I called her "My Second wife". A woman with a high respect for herself and others, a complete Lady walking in the world without getting dirty shoes , KATTY WE LOVE YOU FOREVER, thank you to share part of the road with us.

With love,

Big Paco

I love you and I’ll miss you very much.

With love,

Your Big Brother

Kathy,

Here's to becoming friends first, as teenagers. Doing things we shouldn't have done, but, we had fun, didn't we!! I would do it all over again with you. Thanks for sharing your "big brother's" life with me, and loving me, because, after all, I am your favorite

sister-in-law.

With love,

Beth Quijano

Kathy was a big sister, mother and a friend to me all in one. She taught me to ride a bike and a skateboard and was the best babysitter. She even taught me how to drive. We used to climb into her 1985 Chevy Sprint and she’d let me drive all over San Diego when I was 14 years old.

Kathy loved to have fun. She would take me to every amusement park and she’d ride every roller coaster with me; she had no fear. I had to keep my hands in the air at all times, even during the scary parts or risk her calling me a baby or a sissy!

While we’ve grown past the amusement park, I’ll miss the conversations we had and the time we spent together, I know she’ll always be watching over me and my family. And when I get to Heaven, I know she’ll be the first one to greet me with a hug and a “Hello mijo.”

Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glint on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you wake in the morning hush,

I am the swift, uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there, I do not sleep.

Do not stand at my grave and cry.

I am not there, I did not die!

Mary Frye (1932)

I love and will miss you,

Robert Dempster

Kathy was such a warm person with the biggest heart ever! She took such wonderful care of everyone and had a special bond with children; I loved getting to know her over the years. She will be missed but I know she will be watching over us all here on Earth while she walks in Heaven with the Lord.

Amazing grace

How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now I'm found

Was blind, but now I see

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed

My chains are gone

I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy rains

Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me

His word my hope secures

He will my shield and portion be

As long as life endures

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow

The sun forbear to shine

But God, Who called me here below

Will be forever mine

Will be forever mine

You are forever mine

With much love,

Nicole Dempster

My Aunt Kathy took me to my first drive in movie. She loved movies and I remember she liked to watch all of the Star Wars and Back to the Future movies all the time. Her movie cabinet became everyone’s Blockbuster store.

Anytime the song “Bad Girls” by Donna Summer comes on the radio, I’ve always thought of Aunt Kathy. I remember her playing that album on the record player over and over again and she would sing “Bad Girls” all around the house.

Aunt Kathy always dressed up in a costume at Halloween and took us kids trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. One of my favorite Halloween memories was when I wanted to be a fancy princess and Aunt Kathy and grandma helped me find a huge white princess dress. I remember Aunt Kathy took me trick-or-treating up and down Biggs Court in my big fancy white princess dress. I loved it!

I will always admire Aunt Kathy’s strength and courage. I’m truly thankful I had her in my life and grateful for all she has done for Harlee and I both. I know she will always be here and will watch over us.

Love always,

Jennifer Quijano

Aunt Kathy was a very special person and an important part of our lives. She was a wonderful individual who has touched all of our lives in a very unique way.

She was an amazingly unselfish person who you could count on no matter how small or large the problem or task was. She was constantly putting her family before herself. She took care of the children in the family in any way that she could, watching them, playing with them, teaching them, and cheering for them and just simply loving them. She made family a priority.

My fondest memories of Kathy actually involve my children. From the moment they were born she treated them as if they were her own. She had a way of making my kids feel special. I remember the countless times when Kathy stepped up to lend a helping hand to me and Paco. Whether it was driving like a maniac running through stop signs and red lights, to get Briana to the hospital when she went into convulsions. Or sacrificing a couple of hours of sleep to take Marcos to preschool when we were working nights. Or just spending an evening at Grandma‘s watching movies. Even in the past couple of years when Kathy was fighting to recover she still made every effort to continue to be part of my children’s lives. She loved to be there any time our kids had a birthday party, got an award at school, had soccer game, or just to spend time with the family.

Gone are the days we used to share,

But in our hearts your are always there,

The gates of memory will never close,

We miss you more than anyone knows,

With tender love and deep regret,

We who love you will never forget.

I am forever grateful to have been part of Kathy’s life. We love you and will miss you every day for the rest of our lives. I know that even though you are not here in body your spirit will continue to look over me and my family.

Love,

The Santoyo’s

Paco, Gaby, Marcos, Briana & Victoria

Dear Kathy,

I want to Thank You for being a great Aunt. I always felt close to you because you were a kid at heart. You spent a lot of time entertaining us when we went to Grandma’s house. We could always count on you to take us to see the latest kid’s movie and spoiling us with candy and snacks. I remember you would pack sandwiches and various snacks before we went to the drive-in theater because you know the cost of these items at the snack bar. Our first stop before we got to the drive-in theater was Longs Drug Store so we could each pick out our candy and then it was on to the movie. The funny thing is now that I am older and have a family of 4 daughters I find myself doing the exact same thing. Instead of dropping $70 at the fancy movie theater we go to the drive-in but before we enter we make a pit stop for candy just as I did as a child. I often laugh inside as my kids are picking out their candy thinking of you Aunt Kathy and I will always think of you from here on out.

Another fond memory I have was learning how to drive at Plaza Bonita. I thought it was so cool that you would take us to the parking lot in the evening and actually let us drive your car. No one else would ever do that for us but you did. You took the time and taught us how to drive. I remember always asking you to take us, sometimes you said “No” but most of the time we could convince you. You are the coolest Aunt Ever! You also made the holidays extra special. I know you took pleasure in shopping for gifts for me as a kid and then for my kids as I got older. The gifts were signed from “Grandpa, Grandma and Aunt Kathy” but I always knew it was you who took the time to pick out the special gift. You could not wait for us to open the gift and you were always excited to see us open it.

My strongest memory of you was when I realized how strong of a person you are. When you were diagnosed with cancer three years ago I was amazed how well you handled it. You were always positive all the way to the end and I only hope I can be as strong as you when I am faced with my darkest days. I will never forget you and I will always carry you in my heart. I want to end this the same way you, Aunt Kathy and Grandma would when you tucked us in at night “Sleep with the Angels and Happy Dreams.”

Love,

The Quijano’s

Jimmy, Lori, Sabrina, Nadia, Giana & Angelina

Dearest Kathy,

This is the hardest letter I’ve ever had to write. You have been a huge influence in my life. You inspired my love for singing and my passion for becoming an educator. I remember coming home from school and sitting outside listening to you sing your heart out. I’d watch you in awe and wish that one day I could learn all the words to songs like you did and belt them out with the same enthusiasm.

I also remember how long you talked about becoming a teacher and how difficult the process of going to school and interviewing was. I was very happy for you when you finally got the teaching job you longed for. It was obvious to all of us, that you had reached a place in your life that brought you true happiness. You showed me that although life has many obstacles, you can always achieve your goals if you want them badly enough.

You were always there encouraging and supporting me and our family in any way that you could. You accompanied my mom to all of our important events. I realize now that I did not tell you enough, how much I loved you or appreciated you, but I hope that somehow you knew that it meant the world to me that you were such a presence in my life and that you always made me feel loved and cared for.

I am going to miss you dearly. And I cannot even think about how much my mom is going to miss you. I promise to try to be as good a friend to her as you have been all these years. Please watch over all of us and know that you will always be on our minds and in our hearts.

With love,

Janina

I’ll never forget the white Chevrolet Sprint Aunt Kathy had. She made that thing scream down the highway as she cursed in Spanish at other drivers!

On my 30th birthday all I wanted to do was build a fence in my back yard. I was in way over my head with how much time I had to do it, so I convinced my mom and Aunt Kathy to give me a hand. We were four posts away from getting the first step done; all of us dog tired. Susan was trying to get me to stop early and go over to her parent’s house to meet some family friends. I was beyond perturbed at the notion of leaving the job undone, but Aunt Kathy and my mom were insisting I go. Finally giving in, I left my mom and Aunt Kathy to finish putting in the fence posts. Little did I know, they were all trying to get me to my surprise party that we were already late for! Aunt Kathy and my mom got the rest of the posts in the ground but missed most of my surprise party. I felt terrible!

Aunt Kathy was always up for going to the movies and giving us kids a sugar high with all the chocolate we would "sneak" in her purse. We always got to stay up until after midnight watching TV. I would always want to stay up no matter how tired I was because I felt like I was getting away with murder! I also enjoyed our trips to Magic Mountain and water parks.

With love,

Brandon Dempster

I remember always being so excited to go to San Diego when I was little because we would always go to the movies and get to eat so much candy and soda. One time it actually made me sick to my stomach!

I also remember when we used to live in Arizona my parents would go somewhere for a few days and she would come down to babysit and we would have so much fun.

With love,

Jerry Dempster

When I think of my Aunt Kathy, I think of adventures. Every summer for as long as I can remember, Alex and I would be shipped off to stay with all of the family here in California. Most of the time, our time would be split up amongst the family in shifts. One weekend here, one weekend there and so forth.

It was always exceptionally exciting for me when we got to stay and hang out with Aunt Kathy, because Aunt Kathy meant a number of things. It meant we would get to go to a neat museum and walk around in the parks at Balboa. It meant we would get to go to McDonalds and get a happy meal and play in the play place even if we didn’t finish our food. It meant we would get to go to any movie of our choice and eat all the goodies she had crammed in her bag. It meant we would get to go to the 99 cent store and get at least 10 dollars worth of toys and candy of our choice. It meant getting to sleep in and eat what ever we want for breakfast. It meant watching endless Disney movies and playing hide in seek in the room with two doors. It meant getting to look at all of the beautiful Barbie’s she had collected over the years and resisting the urge to rip the box open and play with them.

I have countless memories like this, and even after 23 years, believe it or not, these were still things I looked forward to and I will always look fondly on when I think of my Aunt Kathy.

With love,

Ashley-Marie Hicks Quijano

My favorite memory of Aunt Kathy is when she took me to the museum when I was little. She was so excited about watching me learn. Almost more excited than I was to actually be at the museum. She was the first person to take me to something like that outside of my school. I love her and miss her for that.

With love,

Alexander Hughes Quijano

Aunt Kathy let us pick out the king size candy bars at the movie theatre. We would go into her bedroom and look at her Holiday Barbie collection and want to play with them. I also remember seeing all of her DVD’s with her name label stickers on them. Aunt Kathy always had gifts for us with our initials on it and she would hide them outside for our Easter egg hunt. Aunt Kathy was fun to be with.

With love,

Sabrina Quijano

Aunt Kathy is someone that stays in your heart. She’s very giving and quite gracious. I had a lot of fun with her when she watched me over the summer times. I liked going with her to help her get her classroom all set up for her next kindergarten kids. Aunt Kathy never gave up. Even though she’s not here now, her heart and soul is with us and she is a guardian angel watching over us with care.

With love,

Harlee Quijano

Aunt Kathy always thought of us kids first before herself. She was always there for us whenever we needed her. She was always laughing and having fun!

With love,

Marcos Santoyo

The last time I spent time with Aunt Kathy was in Virginia with Nana and Tata. We had a great time playing Wii together. She was really good at bowling; she beat me a few times! We love her and miss her and will see her again one day in Heaven.

With love,

Jacob & Ryan Dempster

Aunt Kathy would watch movies with us when we came over. She took us to Chuck E. Cheese and she gave me 100 tokens to play with!

With love,

Briana Santoyo

Aunt Kathy was a good teacher and she always shared her candy with us.

With love,

Nadia Quijano

Aunt Kathy loved to have kids come over and when I would sleep over she always let me sleep in the bed with her. She always took us to the 99 cent store too!

With love,

Victoria Santoyo

Aunt Kathy liked to play with us. She was very nice.

With love,

Giana Quijano

I love her!

With love,

Angelina Quijano