Jacen Marc Garcia Castillo

November 6, 1999 - December 27, 2021 Jacen Marc Garcia Castillo, a ball of sunshine, a polite, eloquent, social person who brightened up everyone’s day whenever people talked to him, a student of the Culinary and Theater Arts, age 22, died on December 27, 2021 fighting his battles against AML Leukemia in the Intensive Care Unit at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, California.

Jacen was born on November 6, 1999 in Torrance, California to parents Jose “Jay” Castillo and Marilou “Odette” Castillo, and was the middle sibling between Carlyn Castillo and Nina Castillo. He came into this world four weeks early as God’s gift to us, and so the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Torrance Memorial Hospital was his first home away from home. The dedicated nurses, doctors, and hospital rooms were no longer strangers to him and the family.

Jacen at birth was diagnosed with Alpha Thalassemia, a blood disorder, which required monitoring his blood levels, and blood transfusion when needed. Despite these medical challenges, Jacen loved living, lived a lifetime, thrived at home, learned from school, found their identity, pursued dreams, cooked favorite foods, baked scrumptious goods, passionately planned the future, achieved goals, dreamed of a better Earth, and fought bravely against the unknowns of medical sciences.

He attended Nativity Catholic School in Torrance, California from kindergarten until eighth grade middle school graduation. He sang in the choir at Nativity Church, ran for student council president, was student council secretary, made life-long friends and many acquaintances on a first name basis-vibes, was part of the Decathlon Team and placed in individual Religion subject, represented Nativity in the Los Angeles County Science Fair, and achieved first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

He graduated from Bishop Montgomery High School as Valedictorian Summa Cum Laude. High school is where he prospered and unleashed his true colors in making more friends. He is a Tournament of Roses Float Decorating Volunteer in Pasadena, California. He is a Catholic Youth Rally Leader, a member of Key Club. Jacen was a member of Bishop Montgomery Drama Lab family where he played the role of Johnny in the Outsiders, had taken many other fun and unique roles, and never held back on finding his true self.

He was a student of California State University Long Beach in pursuit of Theatre Arts, and Italian language. He read Japanese manga, subscribed to Crunchyroll to watch anime and collected pins, participated in Cosplay conventions like at Anime Expo in Los Angeles, California.

Jacen is survived by his parents Jose “Jay” Castillo and Marilou “Odette” Castillo, his two siblings Carlyn Castillo and Nina Castillo, and his grandpa Jaro “Jay” Castillo. His aunties Christine “Joy” Castillo and Carmencita “Menchie” Fortuno. His uncle Martin Owens. His cousins: Jastine “Jai” Washington, Martin “Jun” Owens Jr, Marianne Fortuno Gutierrez, Maricar Fortuno Catalan, Marissa “Bim” Fortuno. His nephews Eli Gutierrez and Adrian Catalan. His nieces: Lea Gutierrez and Gema Catalan.