Kathryn “Katie” Anne-Jiannino Grisafe, 27, died June 5, 2020 surrounded by her loving family. She was born in 1992 in Riverside, CA and lived her first 9 years in Fontana, CA before moving to Yucaipa in 2001. Katie was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2014 and fought with serenity and courage.
Katie was an active member of Girl Scouts, Fontana and Yucaipa Swim Teams. She was a member of the Yucaipa High School Swim and Water Polo teams. She was also a member of the school mascot squad and enjoyed performing at the football games. During the summer months, Katie worked at Yucaipa Regional Park as a lifeguard, where she made many lifelong friends. After high school, Katie attended Crafton Hills College (CHC) earning enough credits to transfer to Cal State Fullerton (CSUF), majoring in Kinesiology. During her time at CSUF, she fell ill and was diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma, a rare form of brain cancer. However, Katie wished to be remembered not for her illness, but for her brief yet fierce existence among us. She returned to CHC and earned her AA and AS degrees. Always the learner, she continued her education at Brightwood College earning her Massage Therapist License. She worked at Massage Envy in Redlands for one year before her illness prevented her from driving to work. Katie enjoyed nature and loved the outdoors. She spent many nights camping with Girl Scouts and with Cub Scouts Family camp. She enjoyed trips to Yosemite with her friends and family. Katie also loved the ocean and spent many of her birthdays at the beach.
Katie made a great impact on all who knew her during her few years here on Earth. She is survived by her parents, Lora (Jiannino) and Nick Grisafe; brother, Dominic Grisafe II; grandparents, Valerie (MacCharles) and Anthony Pejack; Patricia (Bohatch) and John Grisafe; many aunts and uncles—Jane and Mike Rodriguez; Mark and Mendy Jiannino; Jill and John Castanon; Matt and Kristie Grisafe; Diana and Adrian Macias; Annette and John Carlo, and innumerable cousins. She is predeceased by her maternal grandfather, Philip Jiannino.
Katie will be remembered for her contagious smile and deep affection for all living creatures. She will be missed by her fur-babies—Pepper, Scout and Bandit—but also her little “dinosaurs” Gus and Speedy (tortoises).
Services will be private due to COVID-19 restrictions. A funeral Mass is planned for immediate family at St. Francis X Cabrini Catholic Church in Yucaipa.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Katie’s name to the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA, https://www.abta.org/).
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