Kaylee Marie Paredes came into the world March 1, 2002 as a tiny little soul with remarkable strength and determination. Born thirteen weeks premature, Kaylee weighed only 1 lb., 9 oz. and spent many weeks in the NICU. Kaylee was a fighter from the beginning.

Due to her premature birth, Kaylee suffered from severe asthma. During her lifetime, she spent many nights in the ER, was admitted multiple times, and monitored her asthma daily at home. Through all of it, Kaylee never stopped smiling, giggling, and making others laugh. But after many years, her body was too weak to fight any longer, and Kaylee experienced a final asthma attack that ended her life on February 23, 2017, just one week shy of her 15th birthday. 

As Kaylee passed, she was surrounded by love with her family by her side as they held her hands and said goodbye. Kaylee is survived by her father, Gabriel Paredes Jr; mother, Lisa Marie Smith; her siblings, Isabella and Alton Paredes; grandparents Gabriel Paredes and Barbara Urias, aunts, Irene and Lydia Paredes; uncles Timothy and Michael Copeland; and many friends and extended family members. In death, Kaylee gave life to at least three other people through The Donor Network West and Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland, California. 

Kaylee attended Ridgewood, Cutten and South Bay schools. She was currently in the 9th grade at Eureka High School, where she attended her first homecoming. While at South Bay School, Kaylee and her best friend Elena Kilgore won a local History Day competition, which gave them the opportunity to travel to Sacramento for the State Competition. When Kaylee graduated from 8th grade, she was awarded the Amber Slaughter Award for her determination in overcoming obstacles and her success in art and education. Kaylee had plans to eventually attend Full Sail University, an art institute in Florida.

Kaylee was a gifted self-taught artist. From the time she could hold a crayon in her little hand, she was drawing.  She could always be seen with a sketchbook and pencils working on her newest characters. She participated in many local art shows, including North Coast Open Studios and displayed art during Arts Alive on multiple occasions. On a few occasions, Kaylee was commissioned by friends and family who wanted to buy her artwork. She saved up her own money and purchased a digital drawing tablet which took her art to another level. Her drawings were both original and sophisticated and showed much promise. She recently released a “Meet the Artist” bio about herself in which she lists her likes as Boba Tea, Coffee, CATS, Anime, K-Pop, her family, and rain. 

Kaylee was a gift to this world, and an inspiration to many. She faced every day with a smile on her face and with the light of love, fun, and mischief dancing in her beautiful eyes. 

Goodbye, sweet love, paint the stars!

There is a celebration of life scheduled for April 9, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. at the Morris Graves Museum of Art, 636 F Street, Eureka, CA.  For details or to help with the service, please contact Lisa Smith @ 707-616-1264. 

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The obituary above on behalf of submitted by Kaylee Paredes’ family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.