The world has been a dimmer place since my mother, the resplendent Christine Acioly Demelo, left us on March 12, 2025. We'll never have a perfect bowl of her chicken tortilla soup again.

Words cannot convey the grief that overwhelms me when I try to imagine a world without her bright laughter, her daring humor, her rebellious spirit, and her courageousness. Over the last five years, my mother never allowed her diagnosis to diminish her warmth and optimism, always searching for the brighter side even in the darkest times. This is what I must always remember when faced with the pain of her loss — she would want all of us to embrace the light and walk in the sunshine.

She was born on April 10, 1968 in Oakland, California, spent her earliest years in Rio de Janeiro, and would go on to graduate from Cal State University San Bernardino with her Bachelors in Criminal Justice. She was briefly married, but worked hard as a single mother to always provide and seek new adventures. My mother introduced me to anything and everything that could ever make me cool, always ahead of her time. She was bold, brave, and always spoke her mind; she never made herself small and demanded the best of everyone around her. She was an eternally curious soul, fascinated by philosophers and the cosmos. She loved her long walks in nature, early morning trips to the beach, driving through the mountains, and visiting Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm. My mom could make even the most mundane task into a complete adventure with a million stops along the way. I’ll forever long to just take another random trip to TJ Maxx with her and browse through the aisles, sniffing candles together.

She made everyone laugh. She was the greatest chef in the world and certainly knew it. She was adventurous and curious about the world. She loved children and was always young at heart. She loved watching funny videos of cats and dogs. She loved sushi. She loved visiting museums and galleries. She loved the Renaissance Faire. She loved fresh bread and wine. She loved autumn and going all out for Halloween and Thanksgiving. She loved journaling. She loved meditating. She loved everything.

She was wonderful in every possible way.

My mom is so deeply missed by myself, Amanda Gonzales; her sister Delilah Wiley; her brother Edgar Demelo; her sister Joann Palmer; her nieces Jessica Wiley, Stacey Wiley, Haley and Krystian Demelo, Priscilla Bugayong, Aliya Demelo, Zoey Cailliet, Scarlette Demelo, Acacia Demelo, Charlie Wiley, and Everly Demelo; her nephews Joshua Wiley, Allen Demelo, Will Cailliet, Zach Wiley, Logan Wiley, Noah Wiley, Liam and Owen Cailliet, and Wade Wiley; and her friends and colleagues.

She joins her nephew Jeremy Alan Wiley, 32, eternally in God’s light. 

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