Tessa St. Marie Williams, beloved and cherished wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, niece, aunt, cousin, mom to Luna the cat and best friend of so many, tragically and suddenly passed away Saturday, June 6, 2020.
The most wanted baby in the world, Tessa St. Marie, was born at 10:52 a.m. on Thursday, February 23, 1989, in Humana Hospital, Huntington Beach, CA to Peter and Chris St. Marie.
From the beginning, it was clear that this little angel had a special spark. People were drawn to her, not only because she was a beautiful baby, but she just had a welcoming aura about her. Tessa was everyone's friend; inclusive and warm. Her mom Chris always said, “she was my ‘Egg’.”
Her mom said that Tessa was very observant, making it hard to hide snacks in the cupboards. She never crawled, but developed a most effective rolling technique that got her where she wanted to be. Tess preferred building blocks to Barbies, reading to TV, and she was extremely creative. She did all the normal kid stuff: cut her hair, gave her blocks a bath in the toilet ... and flushed. Her mom and Tessa had the usual lineup of apartment pets; gold fish, hamsters, crickets and cats.
Tess and her mom made a tough decision to move to the Woodlake Apartments in August 1995. This is where Tess grew up. It was home and it was a good one. She made a life-long friend in Jeremy at the Woodlake.
School was exciting for Tessa and she did well. Her first encounter with a school setting was at Huntington Beach Preschool, directed by Mrs. Mary Spear. It was there that Tess made her first life-long friend, Brooke. They both moved on to College View School (K-5) and then Spring View School (6-8). In addition to her regular studies, Tess was a girl scout with Leader Deborah O'Brien starting as a Daisy and completed her Gold Award in senior year at Marina High School. Tess was a member of Marina High School's Academic Decathlon Team under Coach Adriana Slater. This was a real joy for her and she was proud of her accomplishments. Tessa also was a member of the Marina HS swim team.
No tribute to Tessa would be complete without mentioning two of her passions. Harry Potter and Disney. Tess received her first Harry Potter book as a gift on her 10th birthday. That was the start of a life-long obsession with the character and his adventures. Tess and her mom even went to London to explore Harry's haunts, including Platform 9 ¾ and she took a trip last year to London and saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre. Disney was a close second. She loved running in Disney races, got engaged at Disneyland, and visited Disney World and Disneyland Paris. She was recently planning another trip to Disney World that she as really looking forward to. She often said that if she knew she had 1 week to live, she would want to spend it at Disney World. This was much to the confusion of her mom and husband but she always said Disney made her happy and feel at peace.
Tessa held several part-time jobs during school that involved child care. Children loved her and she loved children. She babysat two severely autistic children via a job she found thru Sitter City. She also worked at a daycare center during the summers with her friend and college roommate, Nola Green. Every job Tessa had involved helping children in some way.
Tessa graduated from Marina H.S. in 2007 and entered San Diego State University (sponsored by her Godparents Scott St. Marie and Theresa Lang) in the fall of that year as a School of Journalism Public Relations student. The consummate planner, Tess mapped out her courses ensuring that she would graduate in 4 years. She worked the front desk at the Via Alvarado Dorms for 2 years and became an Academic Advisor in her senior year.
Tessa's sophomore year was marked with the sadness of the passing of her father, Peter. This was a real blow for her however she picked herself up and got back on course. This woman had an incredible strength.
Tessa's junior year was a more joyous one. This was when she met the love of her life, Ian Williams. A spark was lit. Tessa and Ian were serious about each other right from the start. They bonded over a shared sense of humor, music and Tessa’s old, beautiful soul. They often said to each other that it was good that they had found each other because no one else would ever put up with them. They were dorks together.
Tessa graduated with a bachelor’s degree and walked with Nola and Ian while her family and friends proudly watched her.
During senior year, Tess became an unpaid intern for a small marketing company. Upon graduation, the internship became a full-time job. This lasted until she joined Kiddie Corp. where she remained for about 4 years and was again able to help children, providing child care for conventions and professional baseball teams including the Padres, the Oakland A’s, The Royals, the Giants and the Cubs.
Finally, Tess found her true home and passion with Girls on the Run, San Diego. This was her ideal work environment. She loved working with and encouraging elementary and middle school aged girls to 'go for the gold,’ love themselves, build lasting relationships and support their fellow teammates. She was dedicated and appreciated by GOTR, SD when she was promoted to Program Director. Tess was so honored and proud.
Tessa and Ian continued to develop their relationship and make many happy memories together. They always had fun traveling together and going to see concerts. Tessa never wanted to move in with Ian until they were engaged. In 2014, after Tessa finished her second 10k, Ian gave Tessa a trophy congratulating her and asking her to marry him. She said yes, moved in with him after that and they were never apart again. They were married on March 8, 2015, at the Lafayette Hotel in San Diego among many many friends and family. Tessa’s mom Chris walked her down the aisle and her uncle Scott was very proud to get ordained and officiate the ceremony. The wedding was beautiful and it was all Tessa. She planned a wonderful wedding that was uniquely her and Ian. All credit goes to Tessa.
Tessa’s mom always said that the "Egg" and the "Best Son-in-law EVER" made quite a team. Just watching them gave joy. They were the King and Queen of snappy repartee.
Tessa and Ian had 10 wonderful years together and a little over 5 years of marriage. Eventually, Tessa became a homeowner and bought a house that she decorated exactly like she wanted. Her taste, creativity and style were in every corner of her house that she was very proud of. It was where she wanted to live. Tessa and Ian adopted a black cat named Luna that they loved, doted on and spoiled, just like Luna planned.
Tessa and Ian went on many adventures together and loved traveling. They went to Florida, Alaska, New York, London, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Paris, Hawaii, Italy, Greece and really enjoyed the cruises they took. They were so happy travelling together and always tried to plan the next thing to look forward to. Tessa loved Disney World and planned the perfect trip that she did not get to take in April.
In lieu of any flowers, the family asks that a donation be made in Tessa’s name to Girls on the Run San Diego or the San Diego Humane Society.
Tessa was the kindest, sweetest person that anyone who knew her will ever know. She cared so deeply about her family, her friends but she also cared about strangers. She volunteered her time and every job she ever had was for the benefit of others, especially children. She will never be forgotten. She was a special person who had a wonderful sense of humor that was never at the expense of someone else. She was genuine and amazing and the world truly is a darker place without her light. Even though she is gone way too soon, the world is a better place because of her. We love you Tessa.
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