Kathryn Villadelgado Cruz Gabriel

After battling lung cancer for two and a half years, Kathryn Villadelgado Cruz Gabriel passed away on July 8, 2021.

Kathryn was born in Pasig City, Metro Manila on October 1, 1967 and grew up in Barrio Maahas, Los Baños, Laguna. She also lived in Cadiz City and various places in Manila before immigrating to the United States in 1986 with her identical twin sister, Karen. They first lived in Oakland but later moved to San Francisco in 1991. She graduated from San Francisco State University in 1992 and soon after worked for Norton Lilly Lines and Fritz Companies. On a vacation to Mindoro, Philippines in 1995, she met the love of her life, Fernando Gabriel, who she dated for 1 year and married at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco in 1996. They had their first daughter, Malaya on June 28, 1998 and their second daughter, Hiraya on July 31, 2005. In 2006, she moved to finance work at UCSF School of Dentistry and stayed for 13 years where she worked at the Preventative and Restorative Dental Sciences Department and the Office of the Dean in the School of Dentistry.

In January 2019, she was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer and left UCSF in October. Once the pandemic hit in March 2020, she spent most of her days at home spending time with her family cooking her favorite foods, baking desserts that she loved, listening to her favorite bands including New Kids on the Block and Spandau Ballet, and enjoying her favorite movies and mysteries on Hallmark and food shows on KQED. Despite being unable to leave the house due to her condition, she and her twin sister texted everyday and greeted each other with their signature "gud morning!!" once they started their day.

She is fondly remembered by her friends and family for her bubbly smile and laughter, her warm and tight hugs, and her appreciation for anything chocolate, especially her favorite brand Neuhaus.

Kathryn continues to live on in the hearts and minds of the numerous friends and coworkers she touched as well as her two daughters, Malaya and Hiraya, husband, Fernando, sister, Karen, and mother, Norma.