Chris Constantina Kozel

Chris “Mutti” Constantina Kozel, age 88, passed away on September 19, 2015 at the age of 88. She is now blooming in heaven’s garden with the same wondrous spirit she always displayed. Her life is to be celebrated for always being such an inspiration and beacon of light for the many people whose lives she touched. She was the pillar of our family and for many friends who adopted her as their own Mutti.

Born in Mendoza, Argentina, to Merhmed Umar and Josefine Larrain, she attended nursing school and cared for those in need. She married Ljubo Zvonko Kozel on February 12, 1957. The family lived in many places throughout Central, North and South America. She became a permanent resident of Chula Vista in 1981 after moving from Palm Springs, California.

Chris will be especially remembered for her quick wit, and humor even in the most dire situations, a spirit of adventure, and the tenacity to meet any situation head on and find solutions to any challenges that life placed in her path. Her achievements were many. Chris was an avid gardener, reader, lover of the tango and opera, and above all a tremendous animal lover,

She lived by the simple thought of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi: “Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny”

Her fire and zest for life will continue living in her beloved daughter Graciel Elizabeth Veronika Kozel and constant, beloved companion Charo. While she is irreplaceable, heaven is a much brighter place because of her. We know she continues watching over all of those beings whose hearts she embraced. This is just another new, exciting and wondrous journey for her. We Love you, Mom.

In lieu of flowers please donate to Chris’s favorite foundations:

Doctors without Borders: www.doctorswithoutborders.org

World Animal Protection: www.worldanimalprotection.us.org

Heifer inteThe Humane Society: www.humanesociety.org

DAV: www.dav.org

rnational: www.heifer.org

Project Wildlife in San Diego: http://www.projectwildlife.org

The Sierra Club: www.sierraclub.org

Smile Train: www.smiletrain.org

ASPCA: www.aspca.org http://www.aspca.org/