Mourning the Passing of Friends: Forthcoming Funeral Services

“What we have once enjoyed we can never lose.  All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” ~ Helen Keller

Forthcoming funeral services are planned for the following friends from our community. Complete versions of these obituaries may also be found in The Payson Chronicle.

Emily Amada Quijano (Almiron) and Gabriel James Almiron 

Emily Amada Quijano and her son Gabriel James Almiron died together on September 8, 2015.  Emily was born to Brenda Bills Marsh and Jesse Anthony Quijano Sr. on December 31, 1991 in Mission Viejo, California.  Emily was a beautiful and talented young woman.  Her friends knew her to be devoted, dependable and loyal. Many benefited from her strength, goodness and her frank advice.  To her sister she was the model of the cool, popular girl.  As parents, we watched her in proud amazement as she lived life fearlessly and with panache.  Emily’s gifts were strongly apparent soon after she was born.  She was independent, highly intelligent, fun, and always a performer.  In all her endeavors, she was capable and confident.  Emily did well in school and could handle large workloads balancing school, activities, and work with ease.  Time with Emily was fun.  She loved to entertain us with her singing and she had a uniquely clever sense of humor that kept everyone smiling and laughing and anticipating what she would say next.  Emily lifted people up.  She was not one to bicker or complain, but she problem solved and made things work.  Emily’s passion was definitely music.  She loved to sing in her school performance groups and she learned to play many instruments including the piano, clarinet, saxophone, guitar, and not to be forgotten, her toy accordion.  She is best known for her awesome rock and roll performances.  Emily had an uncanny gift for memorizing and her repertoire of songs she sang seemed endless.  She appreciated all genres of music and was well educated in music history.  She was the ultimate music trivia champion.  Emily’s greatest loves were her son, Gabriel and her dog, Titan.  Emily was a gentle, patient and loving mother of Gabriel.  He was the joy of her life.  She loved watching him play, and as she did she would giggle and joke in her clever unique way.  At the time of their death, Emily was working full time and going to the Utah School of Massage Therapy hoping that she would be able to work at home in order to have more time with Gabe.  It is a comforting, peaceful thought that she now has that time with him that she wanted so much and was working so hard for.

Gabriel was born to Emily and Fabian Ezekiel Almiron on April 21, 2012 in Orem, Utah.  He was an absolute joy in all of our lives.  We were blessed with his sweetness, his giggles and laughter.  He loved to rough house with his dad and play at his grandmas’ homes.  His blankies went everywhere with him, all four of them.  Some of our special memories are of family outings like boating and bowling, which he loved.  Just like his mama, he loved dinosaurs, and our homes were filled with his dinosaur toys and his fearsome roars.  His excitement and enthusiasm made every day full of new wonder as seen through his eyes.  His ability to show tenderness and compassion was remarkable in one so young.  We will always remember his raspy squeals of delight, his gentleness, his beautiful grey eyes, and his smile.  We cherish the many memories we have with Gaby.  He loved his family and he was loved and adored by us all.  

Emily and Gabe were not with us long enough, but we know we will be reunited with them again as family, and in this we find peace and our greatest gratitude.   

Emily is survived by parents Brenda Bills (Cody) Marsh of Payson, Jesse Anthony (Diana) Quijano Sr. of San Bernardino; her siblings Rachel “Libby” Quijano, Jesse Quijano Jr., Reyna Quijano, Juan Quijano, Alexis Trujillo; grandparents Frank Lynn and Karen Weeks Bills and Amada Quijano.

Gabriel is survived by his father Fabian (Ruby) Almiron of SLC; his brother Isaac Wesley Almiron; grandparents Juan Carlos and Maria Almiron.  

Our sincerest thanks to Chief of Lindon P.D. Josh Adams, Sergeant Nick Thomas, Officer Tom Wallace, the Orem Police Dept., Special Agents John Doughty and Brian Kimball, Ruth Clegg, Alyssa Newberry and the FBI, attorneys Sam Pead and Laura Hunt, and all who are working hard to bring Emily and Gabriel’s remains home.  

A memorial service for Emily and Gabriel will held May 26, 2018 at 1:00 pm at the LDS stake building on 711 South 600 East in Payson, Utah.  There will be a meet and greet at 11:45 in the Relief Society room prior to the services.