Caresse, thank you for being a great friend. Since we both lived in Windingwalk at the time, it was easy to hangout (even though you lived up the big hill). Appreciate always welcoming us over and showing us how to be photogenic. You were always caught up with the trends and it was fun! Thanks for being down to partake in all the random adventures. I honestly still quote some of the crazy shows that we watched back then too... Appreciate all the memories.

Sending love to you, your family and all the friends you've impacted positively.

-Elvin

May you rest in peace Caresse 🥺 You are loved by many friends and family.  I’ll remember all the memories we had in high school and college, and our first time going to a Buddhist temple for our world religions class and how lost we felt figuring it out hahaha. Although we haven’t really talked much since college, I still always wondered about you, how you were doing, how life was treating you. How we thought we were going to be nurses starting out in sdsu but you made the  jump to become an engineer. I remember maybe about 2 months ago, I was at 8th & B and I saw you in line, but I felt too shy to say hi since it’s been a long time. Now I wished I took that moment to talk to finally catch up with you 😔 still love and miss u, rest easy 🥺🩵 let’s catch up in my dreams, if you decide to visit me 🥺

I love that we used to go drive to places just to explore and eat lol. We saw snow this day & we were so excited! So many memories when we were younger 🥹

Both of our birthdays meant so much to us. Every year we’d always get each other gifts. A few months before Christmas or our birthdays we’d always send each other our wishlists lol. We made sure to always celebrate together & tried to be there for all of our big moments 🤍

When I found out I was pregnant & at high risk, we both decided to go to keep each other healthy. Each week, we’d go to the gym, eat, or go for a walk somewhere. Sometimes you’d accompany me on appointments up north & we’d try all the food I was craving that day. It was so fun sharing my pregnancy journey with you because you were so involved and made sure I was healthy. Thank you for always looking out for me & I miss you 🥹

You were a great friend to me at a very important time in my life. You showed me nothing but kindness at all times. Thank you very much for your friendship and all of the great memories and smiles throughout the years.

My condolences to your family, I hope all are able to find peace during these hard times.

-Jamal James

You were always fun to hang out with and I’ll never forget the times we hung out after school at my house with Kevin, Jake and my little brother lol and of course along with all of the other high school shenanigans. You were always great company, watch over all of us. Rest easy Caresse

Baresse,

You were one of my best friends throughout high school. I have so many pictures of all of the shenanigans we would be up to, whether that be asking my brother to bring us carne asada fries so we could eat it in Dawsons class, to going to your house to bake cookies and chat with weirdos on Omegle, or volunteering at WOD every year. 

You were the type of friend that went out of your way for others and have always created a safe space for those around you. 

I'm so incredibly grateful for our friendship. Thank you for being such a beautiful part of my life. The memories we shared will hold a special place in my heart. 

Please rest easy, Baresse.

-Bonquisai

Not a day goes by that I forget about you. Looking back at all of our photos together hurts so much because it reminds me that we did everything together, even now. I miss you accompanying me everywhere because we had nothing else to do. I hope you’re seeing all the lovely words that people are saying about you because you’ve touched so many lives. I miss you so much.

Thankful for the times we spent at Olympian HS and SDSU. Hope you’re eating tacos with Alyssa! 🥹

Caresse, 

You  were one of my coolest, realest, best friends ever in middle school, we had been meaning to hang out these last couple of years and it pains me that we never got the chance to hang out and catch up. Forever missing you.

This photo takes me back to our high school days, hanging out at a boba shop in Convoy after school. Money was tight, of course, as it tends to always be for high school students. Instead of splurging on a photo booth photo, Caresse pulled out her iPhone and clipped on her fisheye lens. We loved fisheye photos back then, capturing moments and our hangouts. It became our thing, a way for Caresse, Mona, and me to capture memories.

I think we had popcorn chicken with boba that day; it was one of our go-to's. Caresse was the first friend with a license and a car, and she was always so generous about it. She’d invite me along, making sure we could all share those little after-school hangouts together. 

Again, Caresse and I could talk about anything. We shared a curiosity about the world, an openness to new experiences, and just understood each other. She heard me, and I heard her, in a way that felt rare, even as teenagers.

We laughed at each other’s jokes and looking back, those moments were simple, but they’ve become core memories that I'll remember forever.

This was taken at Caresse's high school graduation. Even though I had transferred from Olympian to Otay High, I wanted to be there to celebrate Caresse because she was a friend who mattered to me, someone whose friendship I valued deeply at that time. During her sophomore and junior years, we shared so many after-school hangouts, grabbing food and diving into conversations about anything and everything.

We connected through our curiosity about the world, an openness to new experiences, and an understanding that felt rare at that age. 

I miss laughing with her.

This was when we got a pasta wheel in downtown and we rode bikes too. We even got ice cream after. Us 3 would get together often and I wish we did more. We miss you so much! Our forever friends 🥹

This was one of the cutest museums we went to. I love that we would go to stuff like this just for fun & take pics. This one was up in Escondido & of courseeee we got food too!! I’m glad we asked people to take photos of us together, we were always so shy to ask lol. We went to so many museums, even up in LA! So many memories & I can’t wait to take Ari to a museum when she’s older 🥹

Ahh I remember setting up at my moms house and us deciding where to get my cake from. You were always helping me plan out my photos or cake! That never stopped with Ari, you were there helping plan that too & taking her photos. I am so grateful to have had a friend that enjoyed making memories with Ari and I. 🥹

This game was sooo fun, I can’t even remember who won because we were just excited to be there lol and we got pretty good seats too! We had so many fun memories together, I’m glad we have photos that captured it all.

We saw Paramore, Justin Bieber, Drake, and Big Sean together!! This photo from the Drake concert was one of my favorites because we went all the way up to LA. We got food & shopped too. It was always so fun just driving in the car, listening to music, and talking about everything and anything. Wed even do the same now that we had Ari & you’d sit with her in the backseat. I’m going to miss doing everything together!!

This was such a good memory because the next day was my 23rd birthday. You came over to my house after my graduation to help me make Jell-O shots and bake for my dessert table the next day. I remember it turned midnight and you took a photo of me with my 23 balloons just to capture the memory. The next day you helped set up for my party too & took all of my graduation photos. It means so much to me that you helped me with everything & was always there for my big moments. I’m so grateful to have experienced a once in a lifetime friend & I’ll miss you so much.

I look back at all of our photos and I think about all the stuff we did when we were younger. We would always find paint nights to go to and eat!! It was always so much fun. When Ari turned 8 months we painted with her too and you called her Picasso lol 😂 I can’t wait to bring Ari when she’s older & tell her about all the times I used to paint with you 🥹

Could you believe this was 12 years ago? It feels like just a moment ago, that we were in high school. We called ourselves the #OG friends even until this day.

We would always keep ourselves busy, trying to find something to do to pass time. It honestly didn’t matter what we did, so long as we were all together. We would talk about what we wanted to do with our lives, what are hopes were, what we wanted to be. Never did it cross our minds that we wouldn’t all grow old together. 

#OG forever, Caresse. <3

Caresse,

Forever grateful to have you walk into my life 12 years ago.  Me and Maddy wouldn’t be together if it wasn’t for you and that is a gift unlike any other. When we first met, you were like a big sister to me and I truly cherished our friendship. There is so much I wish me, you, and Maddy could do together, just like old times. I know you’ll be watching over and protecting us from above. Everything we do will be in your honor. I promise to take care of Maddy and the family for you, I won’t let you down. You can rest now Caresse. I love you, I’ll see you again soon.

I remember we drove here with Tanner to get boba because we always randomly wanted it lol. You kept saying “Ari’s first boba run!” You were too scared to hold her, but you wanted to give her “Dede” haha. You sat in the back with her if you ever rode with us & you’d always keep her company in the back seat. When you first saw her, you said she has nice kilay haha. We’re going to miss car rides and food runs with you! She gonna be a real foodie like auntie Caresse 🥹

This was from October 2023, it was supposed to be the first of many trips together. We went to Portland for the vibes. We saw Daniel Cesar perform and we were thinking to get a concert shirt to remember. But the official shirts were not it?! So I tried to haggle the vendors outside and the guy was not trying to give us a deal - so we walked away lol.  We had Hainan chicken rice the first night and enjoyed lots of delicious food on this trip. We saw Multonomah Falls and hiked around. We drove around for hours trying to see this mountain and the fog had other plans. It was crazy, because we were in an isolated part of the woods and thought this guy was tailing us for awhile! 

Caresse, I am still so in shock. Feels like a bad dream to be waken up from. Thank you for being a good friend throughout the years. It gives me peace knowing you are no longer in pain. We’ll meet again in heaven 🤍 love you fam.

You were always the driver too!! Thank you for always taking us to eat at new places even if it was far. We always did everything together & we still tried to even though we had so much going on in our lives. Thank you for taking Ari to restaurants with me & experiencing a lot of her first milestones. I miss you so much & I’m grateful to have these memories forever.

This was the last time we officially hung out. It was for my 29th birthday photos & we were always excited to do stuff like this together because that meant FOOD!!! I’m going to miss taking photos with you. I hope you help us get the right angles from Heaven 🥹

Caresse was always such a great friend to Mona, and the best auntie to our little girl! She was one of the kindest, gentlest, and most supportive people you will ever meet. Heaven gained another angel to watch over all of us for the rest of our time on Earth before we get to see eachother again. Rest easy Auntie Caresse, we love and miss you dearly! Until we meet again in the kingdom of Heaven ❤️

When I first told you I was pregnant, I remember I was driving and you were so excited!! I wish I recorded your reaction lol. We were talking about all the food we were going to eat with her & we would go on weekly gym/food dates!! Whenever Tanner couldn’t make it to an appointment, you’d go with me. I love that you were so involved in my pregnancy journey. You even accommodated me during my morning sickness phase by eating whatever I craved lol. You were always behind the lens by taking  my graduation photos, maternity photos, or family photos & I wish we could’ve taken time to have you in them. I’m going to miss you <3 I need to get us more Sonny angels 🥹

Another one of Ari’s firsts!! 
We’re saving you a seat at the Friendsgiving this year <3

Our first grand opening together with Ari!! We did so many grand openings together & we were so excited to do this with Ari. I’m glad we have this photo to remember it & I can’t wait to get the best drink ever with Ari in the future <3

This photo means so much to me because you put so much work into her card & you helped me with decorations. You took most of Ari’s monthly photos and was there for a lot of her milestones. Please continue to be there for all of her firsts. We love you Auntie Caresse!!!

We’ve been friends since Middle school! We went to High School and College together. We would always go on food runs, work out at the gym, & TEXT EVERYDAY!!! We were always there for each other, through the little details in our lives or the big moments. She was one of the first people I told that I was getting married, having a baby, or any complications going on in my life. She took all of my photos throughout the years and made precious memories with my daughter that I will cherish forever. She loves my daughter so much & I won’t ever let her forget her auntie Caresse. I’ll miss you forever and I hope you continue to watch over my family, but most importantly, Ariana. Thank you for the memories and friendship. Heaven gained the best angel.

OBITUARY

Caresse Colleen Matangga Cabrera

24 February, 1994 – 22 October, 2024

Glen Abbey Memorial Park & Mortuary

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services