Alia,
We only met a handful of times, but I will never forget the times we met. You had a killer smile were sharp as a knife with your humor and intelligence. Your smile lit up the space. You were absolutely one of the coolest people ever.

Much love,
Savannah

Alia sent me this picture one day while she was in Felton. The day I went to get her urn designed by a ceramicists in santa cruz, I pulled out of the driveway on my bike and directly in front of me, was this car!

I can't believe that it's been three years. 
I think about Alia often. Whenever a Hozier song comes on, whenever someone refers to a color by the name of the specific shade instead of just "yellow" or "blue", when I see art that looks like something she would have drawn.  When I have a tough decision to make or I'm driving alone, it's Alia that is with me. I miss her friendship and her laugh and her ability to make friends everywhere she went. 
The first time I met Alia, I was struggling to make friends and meet new people. We met very briefly at a party but didn't interact too much. The next day, Alia happened to be walking her broken bike by my house while I was sitting on my porch. I shouted her name and we spent the next 4 hrs talking and fixing her bike together.  We realized we were both major nerds, and liked crafts and all things witchy. That was the start of our friendship. I remember being so in awe of her, in so many ways- her intelligence, artistic skill and ability to quote obscure nerdy shows and movies.  Mostly, I remember feeling hopeful, realizing that it's the quality of friendships, not quantity that matter most. 
I'm so grateful that I was able to meet and get to know Alia. Her friendship, kindness, and lighthearted silliness, and philosophical perspective on all things had a permanent influence on my life.  

I miss you Alia.

I didn’t have it in me to ask about your service, or what happened in the days before, and I’m sorry about that. I’m sorry about a lot of things.

But I had to leave it written somewhere that I still love you.

That, of all the things to happen to me in my life, you were the most monumental. 

You are a titan and a lightning thief and a stone giant. You are a ranger and a wolf  and a wizard and all the good things we ever talked about in our childhood and beyond. All the things we never got the chance to talk about but should have.

I don’t have much left of you in my hands; books I read because you liked them and papers whose edges have yellowed with time. Sketches that now sit on my shelves like stones in my heart.

I never did come to visit.

That’s on me.

Even so, I need you to know that you never forfeited your place in my soul. You are still paramount in the hierarchy of people that made me who I am. The first  person to ever think I was worth something. The only person who ever believed in me without exception. You were the best friend I ever had, and likely ever will, and I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you more often.

I’m happy to say that there is nothing on this earth that could ever wash you away. Not ever.

No profound turning of stones or strenuous passage of time that will ever make me forget you; that will ever make your name disappear from my everyday or your voice from my head. My kids will know your name, Alia. They’ll know exactly who you were and hold the spectacular weight of you in their minds as I have. They’ll know about the sisterhood and the bracelets and the drawings and everything that made you and I close. You were fabulously interesting, fiercely intelligent, and there will never be anyone like you on this earth again.

Every single second of the fifteen years that I was blessed with the gift of knowing you will be felt, it’ll be remembered, and so will you.

Dear Alia, it's been a year, words can't express how much we miss you. Everyday we think about how much creativity and joy you brought to our lives. We miss your genius, your drive, and the way you loved life so much.  We feel your spirit and it gets us through each day

We met Alia when she visited our research lab. I was very impressed with Alia's strength, attitude, scientific curiosity, and kindness. She was a truly inspiring person!

Alia was my colleague's close friend. We met when she visited us in our cancer research lab. It was a great visit. We rarely have the opportunity to meet people fighting the diseases we study, and her visit was a gift. As everyone who has met her knows, she was an extraordinary person. We talked about science and medicine and many other topics. If I ever need more motivation for finding better ways to fight cancer, Alia gave that to me. I am grateful to her. 

I met Alia when we became roommates in my senior year of college at UCSC, Alia's junior year. She walked up the stairs of our house with her best friend, Becca, and I remember thinking what a pair they were--they radiated energy and confidence and just... joy. I remember thinking how lucky (and nervous) I was to get to be roommates with people like that. 

In the early days, I remember Alia and I sitting criss-cross applesauce on the floor of our new digs, discussing alternative music and whether or not someone's toe nail polish could accurately define their personality. She had the wonderful, rare quality of being able to talk about absolutely anything with a philosophical twist.

Her intelligence was only matched by her creativity and talent as an artist. I was astounded by the things she drew, but even more than that, I was struck by the passion with which she followed her heart. How did she do it? What was her secret? 

I was studying creative writing and, consequently, was totally embarrassed and insecure  about everything I wrote. But from day one, Alia McDaniel was my most supportive and enthusiastic reader. She called me the coveted A-Word... an "artist".  Coming from her, that was a huge boost of confidence. 

Alia was like that--totally unafraid to give away the joy she had in her own heart because she just had this unending supply. I thought to myself, here is a girl who really does have it all: a full heart, loving family and friends, dreams and the confidence to follow them. 

Buddhist monks talk about living fully in each moment, so that if they passed away suddenly, they would have no regrets. There would be nothing to wish for, because they lived every moment doing exactly what they wanted to be doing. I believe that Alia lived a life like that. She was and always will be an inspiration to me. She touched all our hearts and will be missed, always. 


The privilege I feel to be able to have shared so many beautiful, unforgettable memories with Alia is unlike any other. I lived with her my freshman year and a bit of my sophomore year at UCSC. Off the bat, the first memory I have is the day of move in when we settled in and our families left. Alia and our roommate, Jane, were going to get dinner and she looks at me and tells me "we're most likely going to be friends, do you want to grab something to eat with us?" and who knew how clairvoyant she was. We quickly became the best of friends and since that day I have cherished Alia's friendship wholeheartedly. She was such a beautiful and sensitive soul. So insightful and caring. Talented and radiating joy. The only regret I have is not being able to be in her percense one last time. This picture was taken on Halloween 2015. I remember she spent hours working on her face make-up and also graciously painted mine. One of the many fun and unforgettable moments we shared together. She may be gone, but she will be forever immortalized in our hearts. 

We honor you today, Alia, and every day!!!

The first real conversation I had with Alia was about cannibalism. Honestly! It was so weird. I vividly remember knowing we were going to be friends after that night, and we were. She's one of the best people I've ever met.

Her weirdness--her lack of fear to express herself--is really one of the most magnetic parts of Alia's personality. I think it kept us all in touch with ourselves in one way or another.  She knew what she was about and spoke her mind, and her laugh was infectious. She brought so much beauty into the world and always showed support and love for her friend's creative endeavors. When I think about her, I can hear her saying my name. I can hear her laugh!

I love you so much, Alia.

I met Alia during our sophomore year at ucsc when we were housemates in our lovely redwood forest apartment. I had so much fun living with Alia and some of my favorite memories are walking through the forest, climbing trees, playing with my cat, trading clothes, and making artwork together. I’m so glad that even after graduating and moving to Santa Barbara I was able to see Alia when she came to visit. We went to the Island Brewery Company in Carpinteria and listened to my friends band play. It was so fun dancing with her and playing foosball. Alia is greatly missed by everyone and I’m so grateful for the time I was able to spend with her. 

Every Halloween was the best Halloween with Alia.

My name is Chris McPherson and I am the Senior building maintenance worker for Crown college, UCSC. Alia was a student assistant on the summer work  crew for Crown, 2017. I was impressed by Alia from the first day she came in for her interview. She was enthusiastic about the work and seemed to have a real positive energy.  She took to the job very quickly and became quite adept at maintenance work. I was impressed by how well liked she was by both the work crew and the residents  we serve. She was so good, I offered her the lead position for the following summer. Unfortunately, she left school that year.  RIP Alia!

Alia was such a sincere and caring person. She was quick to laugh with you, and would always show up to support her friends. A special person through and through, and her presence will be missed, spectacularly. Rest peacefully friend. 

I met Alia when our daughter and Alia became roommates at UCSC.  The living situation was ideal, apartment in the redwoods and a roommate who offered me a peppermint patty, my favorite candy!  The friendship that developed between them was so much more than "the Peppermint Patty Girl".  She was kind, a real friend, a special person, and a wise soul.  She is sorely missed and I think of her every time I see peppermint patties at the check stand.  

I first met Alia when she and Jackie moved in together on campus.   She had the warmest smile!   There was a cat up on top of the kitchen cabinets eyeing a fresh flat of strawberries that we ate together.   

We are all saddened by the tragic loss of Alia, her smile, and friendship.   She lived life with passion, courage and grace and a glass half full approach.    She was loved by family and friends who were fortunate to know her.  

We miss you Alia!

I met alia my second year of college. I was working as a Resident Assistant in the Kresge apartment dormitories, and she was one of the first residents I met. From the start she was a ray of sunshine. Incredibly talented, seemed to always be doing something creative, and always really sweet to me whenever we stopped to talk to each other. She always went to the events I put on for the building. Through the years I got to see her art through social media and it was so impressive to see her growth as an artist.

I am sending all my love to those who loved her. She was truly a special, one of a kind human being, and everyone who knew her could see that right away.  

I lived with Alia our freshman year of college. She was so kind and so excited about everything. After we moved to different houses she made me a painting of a humpback whale and I still have it hanging in my room. I am so grateful to have a small piece of her with me. My heart is with everyone who loved her, she is a truly beautiful human being. 

One of my earliest memories of alia was pretty soon after I moved in with her. I remember coming back to our room, and every inch of the floor was covered with art supplies and random DIY stuff. She was working on a mixed media art project, and had aggregated pretty much every medium I could imagine. Alia never did anything halfway - she would completely immerse herself in whatever she was exploring. Whether it was a beautifully complex drawing or a bizarre collage that for some reason required the strands of hair leftover on my hairbrush haha.

I think she did that with life too. She immersed herself in her communities, her passions, and the joys (and sometimes despairs) of living. She had this almost childlike wonder about her. I think as many people grow up, they trade wonder and curiosity for wisdom and discernment. Somehow, alia embodied all of those things simultaneously. She would come home with fistfuls of a new plant she discovered, covered in dirt and absolutely grinning. And then she would spend two hours debating some random existential topic with me, with an exquisitely formulated series of logical arguments and perspectives.

I miss her every day. I saw a quote this week: “What is grief but love persevering?"

Alia: Water from high falling places or one could say "Purity" 
Alia has a beautiful and pure spirit. Alia loved living here on planet earth. She was a child of nature and art and history. She was hands down the most creative soul I have ever known. 

Alia endured so much the past few years, and her exquisite spirit always shone through every sadness and pain. She would say, "I am the luckiest, unlucky person." Lucky because of all of the beautiful people and experiences she had, and unlucky because she developed cancer. 

Alia, I miss you so much. 

To the McDaniel family & relations- All of us at Claremont Museum of Art's Project ARTstART were so saddened to hear of the loss of Alia.  From the time I first met her, she was the epitome of quirky creativity - enthusiastic, curious, and always a joy to be around. Over time, we learned more about Alia's passion for studio arts, and her love for the natural world.  She was a talented artist and valued member of Project ARTstART from 2011 to 2014, and gave generously of her time to spread her appreciation for the arts to others.  When she graduated Claremont High School and began life in Santa Cruz, Alia still stayed in touch with us.  Alia had a tremendously positive energy, and her enthusiasm for art and working with kids was infectious. While attending UC Santa Cruz, she returned annually to help out with art activities at the ARTstART booth on the Fourth of July here in Claremont.  We all appreciate the years Alia participated in our program and the many hours she spent sharing her love of art with younger students.  Please know that though she may be missed, her memory will live on as a blessing to all those who worked, and learned from her.  

The Claremont Museum of Art Board of Directors remembers Alia McDaniel as a talented artist and valued member of Project ARTstART from 2011 until she graduated CHS in Spring of 2014. The program trains high school students, working with college mentors, to provide exhibit-based art lessons for elementary school students in Claremont. Alia had a wonderful enthusiasm for art and loved working with the kids. She returned in recent years to help out with art activities at the ARTstART booth on the Fourth of July. We appreciate the years Alia participated in our program and the many hours she spent sharing her love of art with younger students. 

OBITUARY

Alia Mcdaniel

June 30, 1996 – December 11, 2020

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