Dylan Patrick Aranjo

Dylan “the Dyla” Patrick Aranjo, was born on December 27, 2005. His arrival, just after Christmas, brought immense joy to our family. That joy was reflected in every year of his life, each one celebrated with a strawberry cake baked by his mom. The following words will never be able to capture our love for him or the devastating loss we feel, but consider it a snapshot of who he was.

Dylan’s bright smile and beautiful eyes will be remembered by all who knew him, as well as his luxurious blonde hair, reminiscent of Finn from Adventure Time. A curious and playful soul from the start, Dylan loved dressing up in costumes and leaping off walls in his own version of “parkour.” His intelligence was evident early on,as he excelled academically, studying French at the Language Academy, graduating with a 3.97 GPA from Eastlake High and continuing his education at Long Beach Community College where he was studying Cybersecurity. Dylan’s wit and sense of humor were unparalleled—his sharp mind often catching things others might miss.

At his core, Dylan was loving and thoughtful, with a quiet and sweet presence. However, when he found something he was passionate about, he talked about it incessantly, often driving us crazy with his endless facts about the topic. Whether it was his meticulous attention to schoolwork or his obsessive desire to finish things on time, Dylan was a stellar student. While he may have been directionally challenged (no matter how many times we told him “it’s right there”), he approached life with care and precision.

Dylan was always careful with his spending, choosing to save and be thoughtful about his purchases. We also just called him cheap. He loved basketball, especially the Boston Celtics, and enjoyed playing in his free time, always sporting his beloved Air Jordans. Computer games and UFC were also passions of his, the latter leaving many of us in choke holds trying to tap out. Dylan loved Pho, wings, Korean BBQ, his mom’s green posole, Hi-Chews, cornbread, Gatorade, beef jerky, his grandmom’s lemonade, and, of course, boneless pizza.

Dylan was a deep thinker, often concerned about the state of the world, with global warming weighing heavily on his heart. We wish he had shared more about his worries and didn’t carry them alone. He loved his two dogs, Pepper and Rufio, maybe because they had similarly pure hearts as him. 

Dylan’s presence in this world was a gift to our family. We will forever carry the memories of his laughter, goofiness, sweetness, and the unique person he was. 

We are not sure how we will continue on in our lives without him. He is and will always be cherished by his mom,Trisha, dad Joey and baby sister Ruby. Held dear by his stepfather David and stepsister Lily. Adored by his grandmom and Pop Pop, his Nana, Celia, Agustin, his aunts Jessie, Laurie-Anne, Karen and Joanne and his uncles Jason, George and Nate. Loved by his cousins, Ayla, Jemma, George and the littlest one who idolized him, Russell. Cared for by his entire extended family and all his friends, our hearts break with his absence.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a Memorial Gift to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to help educate others and prevent other loss of life or The Little Red Dog to help rescue dogs, just like Dylan’s pup Rufio. 

Next of Kin for AFSP Memorial Gift: Trisha McKenna, 2131 Waterside Dr. Chula Vista 91913