When Monique Nicole Prado walked into the room, those around her felt her energy, joy and spontaneity. This was just one example of who Monique was and how she impacted those around her. Monique always saw the best in people no matter who they were. It was as if Monique wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Monique was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that served her well in life.
Monique was born on September 5, 1987 in Santa Paula, California. She was raised in Ventura until the age of nine before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada with her family. She later moved to Victorville, California with her children. Always ready for a good joke or a funny story she grew up to be quite an exceptional person. Some who knew Monique described her as an optimist. Her friends and family understood well that Monique was always in pursuit of making a better life for herself and her children.
Monique grew up with her brothers, Matthew, Marcus, Alan and her sister Jasmine. Monique was very loving and supportive of her family. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Monique was usually the one who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Monique well in her adult life and, along with her humor, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of those who knew her.
As a young girl, Monique was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personalities. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Monique made new friends easily with her energetic spirit.
Monique loved to play softball and eventually joined Rancho High School’s Jr. Varsity team. Unfortunately an injury to her hand caused her to quit. She also loved to play soccer. In her spare time she liked to go to the movies, eat hot Cheetos, watch her favorite shows, learn new makeup techniques and watch hair styling videos. Monique's memorable achievements included earning Special Merit Awards for math and being on the honor roll. Monique found amusement and laughter in almost everything she did.
During her high school years, Monique loved taking on new projects and getting involved in outside school activities one after another. She graduated from Rancho High School in 2004. Monique was a very good student and excelled academically. She absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, especially in math by using her smarts to master her assignments. Her classmates considered her a good listener, a good friend, and was always there for them when they needed tutoring. Monique was part of the Magnet Medical Program and made the honor roll throughout school. Upon graduation, she earned the Las Vegas Millennium Scholarship and was accepted into UNLV’s Nursing Program.
Monique’s favorite courses in college were clinical studies. She interned for a short period at Mountain View Hospital in the geriatrics ward. After her internship, she decided that her true passion was in cosmetology. Monique graduated from Euphoria Institute. This was the beginning of her 7+ year career in cosmetology.
Monique had a talent for making new acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends. She was very sociable and could blend in without effort into most social groups. Monique was easy to know and always had compassion and unconditional love for others. While growing up she had many friends, and some of her best friends were her cousins Gloria, Lina, Louie, and her sister Jasmine. Later in life, she became best friends with Amy, Vivian, Sasha, Connie, Marian, Lena, amongst so many others, including coworkers from Great Clips and the friends she made at A Better Way.
Monique was a great mother to her children Emma, Chris and Avie. She was loving, affectionate and showered them with many hugs and kisses. Monique’s children brought joy and love into her life. While she encountered many challenges as a single parent, she persevered and stayed optimistic and strong for her kids.
Monique was inspired by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities and traits that made her an exceptional worker. She was a hair stylist in Las Vegas for 6+ years and later worked at Great Clips in Victorville for one year. Monique was creative and took pride in her job. She had a passion for doing hair and making people feel good about themselves.
Monique loved hanging out at the beach with her children. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned and spontaneous. She was excited about seeing new things and experiencing firsts with her kids and family. She enjoyed the simpler things in life and took advantage of what life had to offer.
Monique was a strong believer in God. She loved going to church with her mother, children, aunts and cousins. She liked to clap, sing and dance to her favorite Christian music while praising the Lord. Regardless of what she went through in life, it was her faith that led her to the light.
Monique Prado passed away on November 28, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada while on a one day vacation to spend Thanksgiving Day with her family. She is survived by her mother Norma Kennedy; her father Rick Prado, her children, Emma Sarmiento, Christopher Garcia, and Avelina Garcia; her brothers, David (Matthew) Munoz, Marcus Munoz; Alan Pillado; her sister, Jasmine Prado; her grandparents, Gloria and Manuel Valdez and Pete Alejandro; her uncles, Danny Alejandro, Joey Alejandro, Peter Alejandro, Frank (Pancho); her aunts, Cindy Alejandro, Laurie Saycedo, Mary Lowe and countless cousins. Services were held at Palm Southwest Mortuary.
Monique had a knack for being 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 Monique for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Monique was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones. She will be missed, forever loved and always in our hearts.
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