Karl Reese Ortiz

Our angel Karl Reese Ortiz was born June 30, 1995, only 27 years ago on a perfect Florida day to Beatriz and Radley Ortiz. From the young age of two (2) years old when his brother Francisco was born, he would endeavor to always be the best big brother he could be, putting family first - always. Five years later at the ripe age of seven (7) Karl and family packed their belongings and moved to Gig Harbor, Washington where he would live out his life, meet the love of his life, wife Yvette, and create many memories and eventually move to his home with his wife in Kent, Washington. On Friday, May 12, 2023, Karl unexpectedly passed away.

During his early years in Florida, Karl was enrolled at North Dade Center for the Modern Languages where he received all his classes in both English and French and was nominated as one of the top ten students with the best French pronunciation. Then in 5th grade, when in Voyager Elementary School located here in Washington, Karl would begin a role as a “big buddy” and would read to a kindergartener once a week. Karl was especially enthusiastic about this role, often coming home and telling Mom all about his day of being a big buddy.

From a young age, Karl showed his inventive nature and entrepreneurial mindset. There was one day when Karl's mother came home and found a box of potato chips completely empty with roughly $20.00 sitting inside. We would come to find out that he took the Costco box full of snack-size chips and went door-to-door around the neighborhood selling each bag for $1 and we laughed finding out that if someone was not home, he would leave the bag on the front porch with a sticky note saying that they owed him the dollar.

Karl always had a passion and a nurturing heart when it came to those around him and especially to the elderly, children, and animals who would end up rescued from the street no matter the time or place. From here Karl would enroll in Kopachuck Middle School followed by Gig Harbor High School where he graduated in the class of 2013. During his time in high school, Karl participated in Symphonic and Marching Band, Soccer, and the Cross Country Team.

Right after high school Karl would apply and begin working his first official job with the Boys & Girls Club Cheney Family Branch in Gig Harbor, where he worked for five (5) years. However, prior to being an employee, he was a youth member himself. As a youth member, Karl was an exceptional role model to the other children and would mentor some of the younger kids, encouraging them to participate in healthy activities such as dancing, playing soccer, and practicing the arts which in turn would help keep these youth from getting into trouble and out of the streets. As a highschooler in the program, Karl was nominated and chosen to be the Boys and Girls Club Cheney Branch – 2013 Youth of the Year. It was thanks to this achievement that Karl was awarded a scholarship to attend the University of Washington Tacoma. Four years later in 2017, he earned his Bachelor of the Arts in Psychology.

As a college student, Karl would have an experience that most would shun away from, but he welcomed with open arms: having his mother attend college simultaneously and including sharing one class with her. Where most people would try hiding this fact, Karl would proudly tell people that his mama was sitting in the same classroom as him and help her in general whether it be with picking out what teachers to select or showing her how to upload her assignments at 11:58 pm knowing they were due by midnight. During his Senior year in college, he participated in a study abroad expedition to China that led him to also visit other countries such as Spain, France, and Italy. On the day Karl departed for his trip to China June 16, 2017, the next monumental chapter of his life began: the chapter where he would meet his future wife and the love of his life, Yvette Tran who shared many dream adventures with him from this point forward.

Some would say their love was truly a case of love at first sight for both Karl and Yvette as from that day on they became undeniably inseparable. As time progressed the ties that bonded these two only grew stronger and stronger and their adventures became grander. Anyone who knows this beautiful couple knows that their love and passion for Disney is irrefutable so it was no surprise that when these love birds took their first solo trip together they chose to go to Disney Land in California and from there their travels would go on to include trips to Portland Oregon, trips with Yvette’s family - Vison, Julie, and Gordon - to Vietnam, Thailand, and Korea but the traveling did not stop there. Karl and Yvette were not opposed to taking cruises and would often fly to Miami to visit Karl's family in the 3-0-5 including his mother, grandparents, younger sisters Leeanne and Danielle and the youngest brother Christian making it a point to always be there for any major events like graduations or just to spend quality time together soaking up the Florida sun in the Summer.

Slowly his traveling began to slow down in 2020 when the world seemingly shut down, but this did not damper the couple’s love for each other at all, in fact, they grew stronger together. This then led Karl to begin concocting his plans to propose marriage to his love and on December 12, 2020, Karl would bring Yvette to Snoqualmie Falls, Washington, and dropped to one knee and proposed. Sporting the hashtag #GiveOrtizTheKeys, it was time to plan a wedding. The two worked together planning the smallest details to make their day as magical as possible. Karl was overjoyed beyond words and would work very hard to try to be the perfect fiancé and groom. Less than one year later, on October 10, 2021, family and friends gathered to watch Karl and Yvette exchange their true love vows and become one with each other as husband and wife during a beautiful ceremony. With his princess as his wife, they would kick off their travels adventures once more and cruise ship-hop for their honeymoon going from the Disney Cruise and then the Royal Caribbean where they spent their days in the Bahamas, Nassau, Castaway Cay, Puerto Rico - Karl’s paternal heritage, St Maarten, and St Thomas.

The adventures they had together are memories that will last forever including their skydiving, ziplining, attending the countless concerts they would sing their lungs out at, plays and musicals that would captivate, weddings of their friends and loved ones, and so much more.

Mr. Ortiz’s passions were numerous but his love for cars was undeniable. From his teen years, Karl would learn the ins and outs of cars, driving his passion through to his adult years to the present where he would own 4 vehicles, work for Penske, and assist at the family autobody shop. When anyone would ask for help with their car, whether they were his family all the way in Miami or people close by in Washington, Karl would always jump up to help with no questions asked and wouldn’t ask for anything in return.

Karl is a nurturer by nature and from very small he always helped his mom take care of his younger brother, rescue stray animals from the side of the road and so much more. He frequently visits foundations of pets in need including the Humane Society of Pierce County and the Humane Society of Greater Miami. This is how one day, Karl came home with Buttons, his first cat, who he would buy all the cat's necessities and medical care out of his own pocket without batting an eye. Karl Reese Ortiz always looks out for everyone’s benefit, whether they are family, friends, strangers. His Grandmother, Ivette, would send her toll bills to him every month and no questions asked he would simply pay the bills and do it with a smile. He frequently helped friends with mechanical or other vehicular issues, a trade he learned as a teenager while assisting at the family body shop.

Karl is a dedicated husband to his beloved wife, Yvette, an unconditional son, a shining star to his grandmother, an exemplary and loving older brother to all his siblings, and a friend who loved to help everyone. He loves to spend time with his cats and travel all around the world with his wife, family, and friends. He is survived by his loving wife, Yvette Tran, his parents - Beatriz, Radley, and Marco Antonio, his grandparents – Ivette and Ricardo, his two brothers – Francisco and Chris, his sisters – Leeanne and Danielle, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and most recently his first nephew – Gabriel Ortiz.

If so desired, family and friends may make memorial contributions to The Boys & Girls Club of Puget Sound on behalf of Karl’s name.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.greenwoodmempark.com for the Ortiz family.