Jennifer Anaya Rocha
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Jennifer's obituary
The world lost a remarkable person December 23, 2023 in Jennifer Anaya Rocha.
Jennifer, 38, passed away peacefully in her Anaheim, CA home after a valiant battle with cancer (#fuckcancer) surrounded by family and friends. Born on September 4, 1985, Jennifer was a beacon of light and joy to all who knew her. Her life was a testament to living fully, loving deeply, and leaving the world better than she found it.
Jennifer is survived by her wife, Kelly Rocha; their three dogs, Blu, Luna and Vidalia; her sister Jessica Delavara; her brother Michael Anaya; her *almost* derby wife Cammie Park; many nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and dozens of friends–all over the world–whose lives she touched.
To know Jennifer was to know a human filled with tremendous amounts of empathy, compassion, kindness, silliness, love and sarcasm. She was pure magic, a magnetic force with a smile that could light up the darkest room and a laugh so boisterous and contagious that it could lift the heaviest of hearts, and her heart was always on her sleeve.
Jennifer taught us to be our whole selves. To love with our whole hearts and spread that to everyone in our lives. She taught us to care about others, the world around us (#trashhero) and our local communities. She poured her heart and soul into family, friends, roller derby, LGBTQIA+ and under-represented communities...she really touched the world she inhabited. She regularly donated blood and, in her final act of generosity, donated her body to science, hoping to contribute to a better future for all.
When Jennifer loved you, she made you part of her life; and when you were part of her life, you knew–you felt–like you were experiencing a version of one of the greatest relationships you'd ever have. Her love for coffee was only matched by her passion for keeping in touch with family and friends through heartfelt postcards and packages mailed via USPS.
As we take this day to say a formal goodbye, we hope you'll use this day and each day after to live life a little more like Jennifer and honor her memory:
Be a kid, no matter how old you are
Don’t pass up a playground without playing in it
Wear your heart on your sleeve
Take that road trip
Donate blood, donate clothes, donate your time
If possible, choose to walk, skate, or bike to your next destination
Sleep out under the stars
Stay up to watch the sunrise
Buy those concert tickets
Listen to every version of that Taylor Swift album on vinyl
Send a postcard
Support your friends even when they don't make good life choices
Sort your trash! Always recycle and compost
Respect your USPS mail carrier
Volunteer for inclusive sports
Shop as locally and ethically as you can
Wear that jumpsuit or a cabana outfit
Commission that artwork
Upgrade to the club seats
Accessorize in mustard yellow
Cheer passionately
Hydrate!
Nap anywhere
Get that oat milk cortado
Go on a burger adventure
Invest in your local community
Be generous with your love
Explore your outdoor spaces
Have sleepovers
Build LEGOs
Play Mexican Train and argue over whose turn it is
Enjoy some ice cream
Put on fun socks
Hit that piñata
Try lemon olive oil on your pizza
Jump in that bounce house
Make that friendship bracelet
Get the good stuff
Do the dishes at a friend’s party
Blow bubbles
Meet friends at Disneyland & eat a churro
Watch cartoons
Root for the Dodgers, the Kings and Angel City FC
Live as passionately as you can
Be kind and don't be a dick!
Rest in peace, Jennifer Anaya Rocha! You were, and always will be, an unforgettable force of nature. Your afterparty has just begun, and we know you’re watching over us with that brilliant smile. We love you, we miss you, and we will never forget the light you brought into our lives and hearts.
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