Samantha Alicia Aparicio

When Samantha Alicia Aparicio walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Samantha was and how she impacted those around her. Samantha was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Samantha wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Samantha was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

Samantha was born on January 9, 1995 at Kaiser Hospital in Walnut Creek, California. She was the daughter of Gloria Baker and stepfather Derek Baker. Samantha was raised in Antioch, California. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Samantha might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Samantha was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

Samantha was raised with two siblings and two extra siblings. She had an older sister Yvette and a younger brother Johnny. Samantha was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Samantha was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Samantha well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

As a young girl, Samantha was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Samantha was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Samantha took part in soccer. In her spare time she liked to listen to music, dance and text family and friends. Samantha had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.

During her high school years, Samantha responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. Samantha was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Samantha absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Samantha, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Samantha a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. The teacher she enjoyed learning from the most was Mr. Mathews.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Samantha was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Samantha was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Angelica, Alyssa, Sheyane, Brittney, Annastasia, Nancy and Mynoso.

Samantha was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Rascal and Chloe were her best friends for Rascal for four years and Chloe for two years. Her family was rounded out by her other dog Sandy a snake and a tree frog.

Samantha Aparicio passed away on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 in Antioch, California. She is survived by her mom Gloria Baker, step-dad Derek Baker, Sister Yvette Ortiz, Brother Juan Aparicio, step-sisters Cassidy and Sydney Baker. She is also survived by many other loving relatives and friends. The visitation was held on Thursday, July 5, 2012 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Brentwood Funeral Home. The service followed on Friday, July 6th at 11:00 a.m. also at the funeral home. A private interment was held.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Samantha. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Samantha Aparicio for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Samantha was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.