Amber Gillies

Amber Teresa Gillies, 60, passed away suddenly on December 26, 2022, at her home in Adelanto, Calif.

Born in Lincoln, Neb. on July 18, 1962, she was the daughter of Kathleen Ann Russu and Billy Dewayne Nance. In 1963, her family returned to Southern California, where she spent the remainder of her life. She received her general education diploma in 1981, and from there she obtained an A.S. in information technology and an A.S. in business office technology from Victor Valley College in 2000, and a B.S. in information technology from the University of Phoenix in 2005.

She married Wesley Reese Sentz in 1979 and relocated to Germany, where he was stationed in the United States Army. During her time there, she welcomed her first two children - Ryan and Daniel. When her husband completed his service in 1982, they returned to Riverside, Calif., where she welcomed two more children - Christopher and Rachel - before her husband disappeared like a fart in the wind and their marriage dissolved in 1985.

In 1986, she met the love of her life, her eternal partner, and the man who helped her raise her children - David Joseph Gillies. They bought a home and settled down in Adelanto, Calif. in 1991 to raise their family and were together for 15 years before finally getting married on November 24, 2001.

Amber had a passion for journalism and was a highly esteemed and respected member of the editorial team at the Victor Valley Daily Press for 18 years before they downsized in 2015. During her time at the Daily Press, she received several awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, including multiple Best Headline awards, Best Section Front, Best Supplemental Section, Sweepstakes Award for Copy Desk/Graphics, Best A1 and Best Photo Illustration. Her proudest journalistic achievement was making the Top 10 Nationwide on www.newseum.org for her Daily Press front page on February 12, 2014. She retired from journalism in 2017 while working as a copy editor at the Antelope Valley Press in Palmdale, Calif.

She will be remembered for her light heart and tender spirit, and the never-ending love and affection she had for her children, husband, grandchildren, other family and friends; her intelligence, her tenacity, her resilience, and her determination to overcome adversity and achieve her goals; her inspiring and encouraging nature and the example she set for her children and family; and the empathy, compassion and kindness she showed to everyone she encountered. But most of all, she will be remembered for her genuine and contagious laugh and the joy she found in laughing and joking with her loved ones, friends and colleagues.

Amber is survived by her husband, David Gillies; children: Ryan Sentz and wife Jessica, Daniel Sentz, Christopher Sentz and wife Hailey, Rachel Sentz, and daughter-in-law Nicole Edwards; grandchildren: Nevaeh Sentz; Erik, Elizabeth, and Shane Sentz; Daniel Anderson, and Joseph and Robert Sentz; Jacob and Max Bullette; sister Cindy Nance; sister-in-law Jayne Nance; as well as several nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. She is preceded in death by her mother and father, Kathleen Russu and Billy Nance, and brother Robert Nance.

Due to her love of spring and flowers, as well as her wish that her death not be mourned, Amber's celebration of life will be held at her family home in Adelanto, Calif. on March 25, 2023, at 3 p.m. For more information, please contact Rachel Sentz at rachelsentz@outlook.com.