Please join us for a Memorial Celebration of Life for Kaleiya Imlay. Contact family members if you have questions.

Kaleiya was there to experience so many of my life’s milestones… graduating with my Masters from SDSU, passing my BCBA exam after sleeping over at her apartment the night before and her testing my knowledge, my wedding, meeting my first born.  Although we had grown apart since I moved back to OC in July 2017, we always picked up right where we left off as though time never passed.

Kaleiya was an excellent friend. We would try to connect whenever she was passed thru OC on her way to LA. I’m thankful she met my first born, Huxley in September 2023.

We are all so sad and shocked by your sudden and unexpected passing.  You were my stepdaughter (but ALWAYS my daughter).   You were so beautiful, intelligent, driven, honest, and dedicated your life to helping less fortunate families.   We were beyond proud of your accomplishments and perseverance to become a successful and polished adult.  I always bragged about you and cannot believe we have a missing link in our family.    As years went by, we had some wonderful talks about life, and humorous fun times!  I am truly going to miss that.   You will always be in my heart.  Rest In Peace our beautiful Kaleiya

She was the kind of person who told the truth whether you were ready to hear it or not, and somehow I appreciated her more because of it. She was blunt, honest, and real, but underneath that was one of the kindest hearts. She dedicated so much of her life to helping children with autism, giving them patience, care, and understanding that changed lives.

She was also an incredible cook — she made the best gravy on Thanksgiving! 

She was smart, driven, and always pushing herself forward. She had big goals and the work ethic to match them.

She leaves behind memories full of laughter, honesty, good food, and love.  She will be deeply missed and never forgotten.

Kaleiya loved the Dodgers but living in San Diego took some adjustment.

Maneeya and Kaleiya’s grandfather (my dad) always got along with love and humor that resonated with K.

Tripp loved her and she loved him. She grew up with cats as pets but chose a three-legged dog as her first pet living independently of her mother.

She loved to travel with friends to EDM and other festivals with friends. She would buy glow sticks in quantities and hand them out to friends and strangers

Kaleiya came for the holiday and made the best turkey. She had impressive cooking skills!

She knew this “secret trail” on the outskirts of Old Town, where we scaled a hill and viewed the city.

I recently worked with Kaleiya for about a year. In that short period of time, I learned how passionate she was for helping others. She often went above and beyond to support her clients and the behavioral technicians that were on her teams. 

I remember Kaleiya enjoyed traveling and adventure. She went to England and at that time, she shared with me that she was a huge Harry Potter fan. She also took a trip to Norway and I joked with her to beware of polar bears. Funny enough, she sent me a picture of a polar bear she encountered in the wild on that trip. Another fond memory I have of her is when we found out we both drove stick shift cars. I had said we didn’t have to worry about anyone stealing our cars these days but she told me that it actually happened, or almost happened to her… until the person realized they didn’t know how to drive the car! 

At a staff meeting late last year, she shared with the group that her father gave her an old picture of her from when she was young and strangely it looked just like one of her clients. After the meeting, she sent me that adorable picture and it’s like it was crystalized in my mind. 

I will cherish these memories and I feel fortunate that our paths crossed. I wish her loved ones my deepest sympathies.

Kaleiya and I go back over twenty years. We met working at Red Robin together, I trained her, and she became one of my closest friends. 

She eventually also went to the same college as me, CSUN. Around that time, we used to get into a lot of trouble, so much so that I used to call her “the little sister I never wanted.” This became a running joke over the years, but in reality, she was the sister I was lucky to have in my life. 

She was so smart and driven. She had a curiosity for life and loved to travel. She was great with children and animals. 

I remember all the days we spent at Disney together, dressing up for dapper day and bats day. Dancing the night away at the mad tea party.  Road trips and Camping up at June lake when it rained and the mosquitos ate us alive.  Picnics at cinespia. The random nights at the club, or at birds or at trivia night. Watching her dance at my wedding with her mom. 

When she moved to San Diego, we saw less of each other, but still kept in touch.  Every year before her mom passed, she’d come over after her Thanksgiving to join mine. We’d play games or go midnight shopping. She would do the same around Christmas. And still, we’d  often meet up at Disney. 

She never forgot to send my daughter Sienna a birthday present. The last memory I have of her is from a little over a month ago. We spent at the day at Legoland where I watched her be silly and laugh with Sienna. I will always cherish these memories. 

Rest in peace, Kaleiya 💕

Kaleiya was an amazing person. She was a mentor, always in everyone’s corner, and never afraid to be blunt in the best way. We shared a lot of fun memories together. She was there cheering me on when I got my BCBA results, and she was right there with me at the Bone Thugs concert a few weeks ago when nobody else would come.
She was so down to earth, smart, fun, and genuinely cared about people. The passion she had for advocating and serving a special population was something you could feel anytime she spoke. She was incredibly inquisitive and poured herself into everything she did.
She will be deeply missed, and I’m heartbroken hearing about her loss. But the impact she made, the people she lifted up, and the passion she brought into this world will continue to live on through everyone lucky enough to know her.

Kaleiya, you interviewed and trained me. I became a trainer because of you. You were always so fun to be around. You were there when I did my first solo flight to celebrate. You were always a good friend

Kaleiya,

I don’t even know where to start. Even though we haven’t worked together for quite some time, you will always be unforgettable. I remember when I first started my path in ABA, and you were my trainer. There was another girl, but I guess she quit, so it was just you and me. It was absolutely nerve-wracking since it was my first “big girl” job. I really had to know my information and couldn’t hide behind another student, so I ended up becoming a great BT (in my opinion) pretty quickly.

Oh, and the clients we shared were amazing. You were someone I looked up to — knowledgeable, a director, a PhD, adventurous, and so much more. Wish we had more years.

OBITUARY

Kaleiya Priscilla Imlay

October 14, 1987 – May 2, 2026

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