Cristina Isabel Gomez

Cristina Isabel Gomez, exemplary and beloved wife, daughter, sister, and friend, passed on December 29th, 2024, in Tampa, Florida, following a valiant fight against a rare spinal cancer. She was courageous and graceful in the face of a devastating and insidious disease, drawing strength from the love of her family, her trust in God, and her expansive network of friends and loved ones. She always gifted those around her with a radiant smile, and her quiet confidence provided a steadying sureness that made others believe she would win this cancer battle despite knowing the odds were against her. Her kindness and strength were evident to all who cared for her during this journey.

Cristina is survived by her loving husband, Patrick James, her adoring parents Olga Pina and Guillermo Gomez, Jr., her fiercely protective brother Guillermo Gomez and his wife Julia Vallone, her grandfather Guillermo Gomez, Sr. and her grandmother Olga O. Pina, her aunts and uncles, Beatriz and Andrew Smith and Julia and Keith Nelson, her cousins Gabrielle and Owen Smith and Isabel Nelson.

A third-generation “Tampeña”, Cristina was born in Tampa, Florida, on February 20th, 1994. She started her education at Christ the King Catholic School which gifted her some of her oldest and dearest friends, setting the foundation for her ever growing community while always remaining a large part of her heart. After graduating as valedictorian, she started high school at The Academy of the Holy Names where she excelled in her studies. She loved dance, theater, and volleyball, and discovered crew during her last year of high school, culminating in her surprise at being selected to compete in the Scholastic Rowing Association of America National Championship Regatta.

In 2012, Cristina left Tampa to attend the University of Virginia, where she majored in accounting at the prestigious McIntire School of Commerce, one of the top undergraduate business programs in the United States. One of her favorite experiences there was joining Pi Beta Phi, where she continued the spirit of sisterhood that was so important to her at Academy of the Holy Names. Being one of the “Phinest Angels” and living with her sorority sisters was incredibly special to her. Invited to the Panhellenic Council, and elected to UVA’s exclusive Honor Code Committee, Cristina proved her leadership qualities and showed her ability to make hard and just decisions while remaining empathetic and comforting to those in need. None of this prevented her from partaking in UVA’s storied traditions, reveling in the beauty of Charlottesville and its vineyards, and living expansively to enjoy every moment of levity that the school offered. After graduating with her Bachelor of Science, Cristina went on to complete the UVA Master of Science in Accounting Program in 2017; it was there where she met the love of her life and future husband Patrick James.

Her job at KPMG took her to Washington, D.C., where she enjoyed discovering all that our nation’s capital had to offer with Patrick, her roommates, and other close friends. She was joyful in seizing each opportunity that presented itself, whether exploring a new restaurant on the D.C. cuisine scene, enjoying espressos at the Colada Shop on 14th, catching a date night at the Dabney, joining a kickball league, attending a concert, or diving into her workload at her new job. 2020 brought its challenges as city life came to a halt, but also the joy of saying yes to Patrick when he proposed. The two then took the opportunity to work remotely and divided their time between Tampa and Atlanta, where Tía Tina doted on her nieces and nephews, Tommy, Violet and Annie James, whom she adored. Her favorite of all days, however, came on November 20, 2021, when she and Patrick were joined in matrimony at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Tampa, Florida. Following the wedding of her dreams, she and Patrick returned to Washington, D.C., starting married life in a beautiful townhome in Georgetown while continuing to work for KPMG where she was ultimately promoted to Manager.

This period of her life was cut short by muscle weakness and other unfamiliar symptoms which ultimately took her to Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital for a spinal cord biopsy where she was diagnosed with a Diffuse Midline Glioma, an almost universally fatal central nervous system cancer. Cristina received the news of her diagnosis with a kind of strength that doctors told us they don’t typically see. Following radiation, Cristina entered into a cutting-edge clinical trial at Stanford’s Lucille Packard’s Children’s Hospital, where she underwent CAR-T Cell Therapy. Despite her trepidation about entering into an experimental treatment, she mustered bravery knowing that her participation would help generate data to combat a disease that mostly impacts young children. Although the therapy reduced her tumor tremendously and significantly extended her survival, it also induced paralysis in her limbs.

Cristina’s limitations never hindered her ability to squeeze the most out of each day, leaning on friends and family to provide her strength through each stage of her battle. As was always the case from her early life, Cristina’s true joy was spending time with her dear friends. They all rallied around her during the last two years. Their love and support of her was always returned tenfold; she was constantly thinking of others. She had an incredible memory, never forgetting a birthday, anniversary or special occasion even as she lay in a hospital bed. Cristina was often described as the “complete package”: kind, beautiful, smart, likeable, social, practical, funny, diligent and persistent, loyal and sincere. If you were lucky enough to have known her, you experienced her warmth and radiance.

Cristina’s unique beauty shone from the inside out. She taught her loved ones how to find joy in the everyday. She showed her community how to fight and how to love; even strangers were struck by her grace and gentleness in the face of adversity. She also allowed herself to be showered with love, without pride or fear of vulnerability. She left the world a better place for having been a part of it. Her life, though cut short, impacted many: from those she babysat, to those she mentored, to those she took on her foodie adventures, to the colleagues that worked long nights with her during busy seasons, and even the nurses and other healthcare professionals she encountered during her cancer journey. Cristina’s name lives on as a symbol for inspiration, kindness, and steadfast determination. She will be missed dearly.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to https://chadtough.org/donate/