William Padilla

 William Christopher Padilla 12/25/1995 – 5/3/2023

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved son, William “Will” Padilla, who left us unexpectedly on May 3rd to be with our Lord.  Will brought so much joy and happiness to the lives of many people with his unforgettable and contagious smile and laughter.  We will always remember his generosity, his thoughtfulness, his sensitivity and kindness, and his desire to make people happy.  He will be greatly missed by all who had the honor of knowing him.  Will loved to cook and grill, and work outside doing landscaping and construction work. He was a talented gamer, and no zombies had a chance against him.  And his online racing skills were amazing.  Will was known for his generous heart and the ability to make people laugh and smile.  His sense of humor will be remembered by all.

He is survived by his parents, Veronica Padilla and Ken Sturm, as well as his brother, Steven Padilla, and sisters Viktoria Padilla and Noralynn Romero, who all love him more than words can express.  His dog, Brownie, will miss his kindness and love.  He is also survived by his grandma, Gloria Padilla and aunties Helen LaMonda (Rick), Cecilia Hasson (Rod), Sylvia Trujillo, and Carol Erven; and uncles Robert “Bobby” Mora (Molly), Steve Padilla (Anna), Richard Padilla and Rusty Erven, as well as numerous cousins.  His friends, many of who knew him as “Wiggles” are too numerous to name.  Will is preceded in death by his maternal GG (Florela Mora), his auntie Roberta Padilla, his cousins Robert “Jim” Mora and Dennis LaMonda, his paternal grandparents Red Sturm and Marilyn Sturm, and his uncle Mike Sturm.

You are forever in our hearts and memories, as love never dies.  We will love you and miss you forever.  We are grateful for the gift of you being in our lives.  Soar with the eagles, fly with the angels, and rest in peace our sweet Will.

In lieu of flowers, Will’s family is asking for donations to be sent to The Tourette’s Association of America at https://tourette.org/.

A celebration of life ceremony will be on Friday, June 16, 2023 at 12:00 pm at Rivera Family Funeral & Cremations.

Don’t grieve for me for now; I’m free.

I’m following the path

God has laid, you see.

I took His hand when I heard Him call,

I turned my back and left it all.

I could not stay another day,

 to laugh, to love, to work, to play.

Tasks left undone must stay that way,

I found my peace at the close of day.

If my parting has left a void,

then fill it with remembered joys.

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,

O yes, these things I too will miss.

Be not burdened with the times of sorrow,

I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.

My life’s been full, I’ve savored much,

good friends, good times,

a loved one’s touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief,

don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.

Lift up your hearts a peace to thee,

God wanted me –

He set me free.