Julissa "Jules " Andreace Ledesma

Julissa Andreace Ledesma was born on December 29th, 1999, to Erasmo and Soraya Ledesma. From the very beginning, she brought light into her family’s life. She grew up surrounded by love, alongside her older sister, Natalia, building the kind of bond that only sisters truly understand. One filled with laughter, memories, and a lifetime of shared moments. If you knew Julissa “Jules” then you knew her smile. It was the kind of smile that showed up before she even said a word, the kind that made you feel like you mattered the moment you were around her. That’s how so many of us will always remember her, not just for how she looked, but for how she made us feel. As she grew up, that light in her only became brighter. Julissa was never the kind of person to stay in the background. She was bubbly, social, and full of life, someone who could start a conversation with anyone and make them feel like they belonged. She had this natural gift: she didn’t just meet people, she welcomed them. Whether you were a close friend or someone she had just met, she made you feel seen, included, and cared for. She loved life in a way that was simple and genuine. She loved sports, especially softball. Julissa played softball from the age of four all the way up to 20 at MSJC. She furthered her education at Cal State San Marcos getting a degree in Liberal Studies and then her Masters at Alder Graduate School of Education. She loved romantic comedies and reality TV, the kind that make you laugh, cry, and believe in love all at once. She loved country music, shopping, and especially traveling. Cruises were one of her favorite ways to see the world, to relax, to enjoy life, and to make memories with the people she loved.

She loved her family very much and they meant everything to her. The bond she shared with her mom, Soraya, and her dad, Erasmo, was something truly special—built on love, respect, and closeness. And with her sister Natalia, she had not just a sibling, but a lifelong best friend. She loved her grandparents and spending time at their houses. She adored her aunts and uncles who hold a special place in her heart. She loved spending time with her cousins. She treasured the time she spent with her nephews and Goddaughter.

She also found love in her relationship with Christian, someone who meant so much to her and who shared in her life, her laughter, her adventures, and her dreams. And of course, there was Koda—her dog, her companion, another piece of her heart. The way she loved Koda is just another example of who Julissa was: nurturing, caring, and full of warmth.

That nurturing spirit is what led her to become a teacher. She didn’t just work with kids—she loved them. She had the patience, the kindness, and the heart to truly make a difference in their lives. She showed up for them not just as a teacher, but as someone who cared, someone who wanted them to feel safe, encouraged, and valued. That was her gift.

When you think about Julissa, it’s not just one thing that stands out—it’s everything. It’s her laugh, her energy, her kindness. It’s the way she could walk into a room and make it brighter without even trying. It’s the way she loved people fully and without hesitation.

Her life, though far too short, was full. Full of love, full of connection, full of moments that mattered. And the impact she had on all of us—that doesn’t go away. It lives on in the way we remember her, in the stories we share, and in the love she leaves behind.

We didn’t get enough time with her. We will always wish for more—more conversations, more laughter, more memories. But what we were given was something truly special.

And so we hold onto that.

We hold onto her smile.

We hold onto her laughter.

We hold onto the way she made us feel.

Julissa you were deeply loved. You will always be loved. And you will never, ever be forgotten.

Julissa is preceded in death by her Grandfathers, Aristeo C. Ledesma and Jose Luis Gutierrez and her cousin Alex Donley. She is survived by her parents, Erasmo and Soraya Ledesma, her sister Natalia Gyenese and her husband Matt Gyenese, her boyfriend Christian Elkins, Grandmothers Maria A. Gutierrez and Petra O. Ledesma, and many uncles, aunts, cousins, and nephews, and nieces.