Kristen Whitford Rea Obituary (1975 - 2022)

Kristen Whitford Rea, 47, passed away unexpectedly in her home on November 13, 2022, in El Centro, California. Kristen was born on October 5, 1975 in Visalia, California and moved to El Centro in 1979. She graduated from Central Union High School in 1993 and attended San Diego State University at the Calexico campus, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies. She worked as a teacher at El Centro Elementary School District for over 17 years, teaching at Desert Garden Elementary, De Anza Magnet School, and lastly at Kennedy Middle School, where she was assigned to the Youth Opportunity Program. While working full time with the El Centro Elementary School District, she completed her Master's degree in Educational Curriculum. She married Alex Wells in 2001 and they had a beautiful daughter, Emerson. She later married Lucas Rea in 2013 at her happiest place on earth, Disneyland, and later was married at St. Mary's Catholic Church in El Centro in 2018. After surviving breast cancer, the Lord blessed Kristen and Lucas with two "miracle babies". Kristen loved teaching and was known by her coworkers to "never sugarcoat a thing" while making fast friends with everyone she met. She could quickly light up any room with her beautiful blue eyes, bright smile, and infectious laugh. She gave her whole heart to her students and went above and beyond to create a loving and safe environment for them all. Kristen loved baking and cooking for her loved ones, she perfected everything she made (although she was such a picky eater, she rarely tried her own creations). Kristen traditionally made carrot cake from scratch every year for her dad's birthday and spoiled her family with freshly baked monkey bread and breakfast casseroles every Christmas morning. Kristen loved Disneyland, The Beatles, but most of all she loved her family and friends, often gifting her mom and the rest of the family with thoughtful, personalized gifts "just because". She loved nothing more than a long hot bath at the end of the day, in which her husband, Lucas, built her the ultimate bathtub, including a fireplace and all. Kristen is forever loved and will be dearly missed by all who knew her. She was a loving wife, mother, daughter, big sister, and friend. She is survived by her husband, Lucas Rea, children, Emerson Wells, Lola Rea, and Brice Rea, along with parents Billy and Sharon Whitford, sister Kimberly (Jacob) Zavala, biological father Ron (Judy) Dillon, and several nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 10, 2022 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in El Centro with Rosary at 8:15 a.m., services will be officiated by Deacon Domingo Enriquez at 9:00 a.m., burial immediately following at Riverview Cemetery in Brawley, CA