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Obituaries

Lifelong

Following a brief illness, Grant Barba passed away peacefully in his hometown of San Diego on July 7, 2086. He was 97 years old. Born on June 3, 1989, he attended college in the state of Washington, after which he traveled the Orient, visiting Japan and Tibet. These trips shaped his view of the world and instilled a love for Buddhism and Asian culture. After returning home, Mr. Barba became a teacher and taught both high school and college, concentrating primarily on English and religious studies. Mr. Barba was passionate about teaching and always popular with his students. They said he made learning interesting, and he founded a school on that principle, rather than one based upon bureaucracy. Many consider this to be his crowning achievement. He tried to impart what knowledge he could to his students and took a select few to Japan every year.

When he was 25, Mr. Barba met the woman who would one day become his wife. After a two-year courtship, he married Nathalia Richards in 2016. The two shared a love of teaching and years of happiness. His sister Linley, 93, said, "They were such a cute couple. He was a wonderful brother and will be greatly missed. But, I will never forgive him for the names he called me as a child."

Mr. Barba is survived by his wife of 70 years, his sister, his two children (Jake, 66, and Elyse, 64) and his five grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating to your favorite charity or making a contribution to his school. His body has been cremated, and the ashes will be strewn into the sea at sunset on July 15. -- Grant Barba, La Jolla H.S.

Michelle Eveland Diaz died peacefully of natural causes at the age of 96, missing the age reached by her maternal great-grandfather by only one year. Ms. Diaz, who married but continued to go by her maiden name because she had already established herself professionally, will be remembered for her contributions to literature and for the education of innumerable high school students. Born in Yorba Linda, California, on Independence Day in 1988, Ms. Diaz aspired from an early age to be an author. Throughout her childhood she made a number of attempts at completing a novel. During her senior year at Poway High School, she finished a 140-page story that was published the following year. The success of that book's publication (The Johnson Brothers) paved the way for her lifelong career in writing.

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However, Ms. Diaz's love of literature and her desire to positively influence others led her to pursue a teaching career. She returned to Poway High School to teach English for over 40 years while continuing to write in the evenings, on the weekends, and during the summer. She returned to writing full-time following her retirement in 2053.

Ms. Diaz, who grew up in San Diego, never wished to move anywhere else. However, she was well traveled, frequently visiting her favorite vacation place, Vermont, as well as numerous places in Europe and other parts of the world.

Ms. Diaz is survived by her two children, seven grandchildren, and one great grandchild, all of whom reside in San Diego. -- Michelle Diaz, Poway H.S.

Alexis Sebring was born in Oceanside, California, on June 16, 1989. After living a full life, she died at the age of 102 in 2090 while attempting to climb Mt. Whitney for the fifth time. In the early years of her life, she always had a violin under her chin, especially through her college years, when she attended The Juilliard School. In her youth, Ms. Sebring visited many orchestral halls, including New York's Carnegie Hall (2009), where she played with symphony orchestras.

At age 27, she was hired as a news broadcaster for Fox News. Her love and skill for writing landed her a successful and long-lasting career in the broadcasting business. In her spare time, she ran triathlons, wakeboarded, and snowboarded. She earned many awards for her athleticism. Besides sports, she took up acting at a young age and auditioned and landed roles in many theater plays.

Ms. Sebring grew up in San Diego, California, and then moved to New York to go to school. She stayed on the East Coast until the age of 23, when she moved to Germany. She traveled Europe until the age of 40. At the time of her death, she lived in New York because of her love for city life.

"My grandmother loved to do lots of things, from skydiving to reading a book on a stormy day. She was so outgoing, well rounded, and loving. I'm going to miss her," states her granddaughter, Christina. Ms. Sebring has a brother, children, and grandchildren who will miss her dearly. -- Alexis Sebring, Carlsbad H.S.

Emma Jean Burton died in her sleep on Saturday night in her Malibu home at the age of 95. She is survived by her 97-year-old husband, Hayden Burton, and their children, Noah and Jessica. Mrs. Burton was born in San Diego, where she lived for most of her childhood. She later attended New York University, where she studied film and journalism. Promptly after graduating, the New Yorker magazine hired her to write a column that quickly became popular for the way it addressed controversial issues and helped positively change the world. After several years of writing for the New Yorker, she became inspired to create films out of several of her column topics. Some of the Oscar-winning films she created and directed include Someday and Stolen Dream.

Emma Seemann met Hayden Burton in 2008; they married in 2014. They traveled all over Europe and the Caribbean but eventually settled in Malibu, where Hayden started his successful architectural business and they raised their two children. The proximity of Hollywood allowed Emma to work on films while staying close to her family.

In addition to her love for writing and filmmaking, Emma enjoyed reading and riding horses. When she and Hayden moved to Malibu, he bought her a white warmblood named Superman.

"Emma lived such a full life," reminisces Hayden. "She was always so determined and passionate about it; she had a mission to show the world the truth, and because of her, society changed for the better."

A memorial service will be held today on the beach, where Emma enjoyed walking with her husband and riding her horse. Donations can be made to Changes, the scholarship program set up by Emma and Hayden that funds young individuals wishing to pursue careers in critical journalism. -- Emma Seemann, Carlsbad H.S.

Derrick Sun was 90 years old when he passed away. He was born in Texas on August 22, 1988, and grew up in San Diego. He had loving parents and a not-so-loving and always sleepy sister. Mr. Sun did very well in elementary, middle, and high school. He graduated from Mt. Carmel High School in 2006 and then went on to study journalism and photography at the University of Southern California. He graduated with honors in 2010 and then took a year off to travel the world. He visited over 20 countries, making it one of the best years of his life.

Mr. Sun then went to graduate school at New York University, where he got a master's in photography. He got a job as a photojournalist at the New York Times right out of school. At the New York Times, he met his future wife, a writer. They were married two years later.

Mr. Sun then got a job as a photographer for Vogue. He spent the next 15 years as a feature and fashion photographer in New York and Paris. He and his wife had two children, a boy and a girl. They moved to San Diego to raise their children while Derrick balanced an occasional photo shoot in New York for Vogue. After both kids left home, Mr. Sun took on a job as a photographer for National Geographic , combining his passion for photography and travel. He died due to natural causes in his home in San Diego. -- Derrick Sun, Mt. Carmel H.S.

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Lifelong

Following a brief illness, Grant Barba passed away peacefully in his hometown of San Diego on July 7, 2086. He was 97 years old. Born on June 3, 1989, he attended college in the state of Washington, after which he traveled the Orient, visiting Japan and Tibet. These trips shaped his view of the world and instilled a love for Buddhism and Asian culture. After returning home, Mr. Barba became a teacher and taught both high school and college, concentrating primarily on English and religious studies. Mr. Barba was passionate about teaching and always popular with his students. They said he made learning interesting, and he founded a school on that principle, rather than one based upon bureaucracy. Many consider this to be his crowning achievement. He tried to impart what knowledge he could to his students and took a select few to Japan every year.

When he was 25, Mr. Barba met the woman who would one day become his wife. After a two-year courtship, he married Nathalia Richards in 2016. The two shared a love of teaching and years of happiness. His sister Linley, 93, said, "They were such a cute couple. He was a wonderful brother and will be greatly missed. But, I will never forgive him for the names he called me as a child."

Mr. Barba is survived by his wife of 70 years, his sister, his two children (Jake, 66, and Elyse, 64) and his five grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating to your favorite charity or making a contribution to his school. His body has been cremated, and the ashes will be strewn into the sea at sunset on July 15. -- Grant Barba, La Jolla H.S.

Michelle Eveland Diaz died peacefully of natural causes at the age of 96, missing the age reached by her maternal great-grandfather by only one year. Ms. Diaz, who married but continued to go by her maiden name because she had already established herself professionally, will be remembered for her contributions to literature and for the education of innumerable high school students. Born in Yorba Linda, California, on Independence Day in 1988, Ms. Diaz aspired from an early age to be an author. Throughout her childhood she made a number of attempts at completing a novel. During her senior year at Poway High School, she finished a 140-page story that was published the following year. The success of that book's publication (The Johnson Brothers) paved the way for her lifelong career in writing.

Sponsored
Sponsored

However, Ms. Diaz's love of literature and her desire to positively influence others led her to pursue a teaching career. She returned to Poway High School to teach English for over 40 years while continuing to write in the evenings, on the weekends, and during the summer. She returned to writing full-time following her retirement in 2053.

Ms. Diaz, who grew up in San Diego, never wished to move anywhere else. However, she was well traveled, frequently visiting her favorite vacation place, Vermont, as well as numerous places in Europe and other parts of the world.

Ms. Diaz is survived by her two children, seven grandchildren, and one great grandchild, all of whom reside in San Diego. -- Michelle Diaz, Poway H.S.

Alexis Sebring was born in Oceanside, California, on June 16, 1989. After living a full life, she died at the age of 102 in 2090 while attempting to climb Mt. Whitney for the fifth time. In the early years of her life, she always had a violin under her chin, especially through her college years, when she attended The Juilliard School. In her youth, Ms. Sebring visited many orchestral halls, including New York's Carnegie Hall (2009), where she played with symphony orchestras.

At age 27, she was hired as a news broadcaster for Fox News. Her love and skill for writing landed her a successful and long-lasting career in the broadcasting business. In her spare time, she ran triathlons, wakeboarded, and snowboarded. She earned many awards for her athleticism. Besides sports, she took up acting at a young age and auditioned and landed roles in many theater plays.

Ms. Sebring grew up in San Diego, California, and then moved to New York to go to school. She stayed on the East Coast until the age of 23, when she moved to Germany. She traveled Europe until the age of 40. At the time of her death, she lived in New York because of her love for city life.

"My grandmother loved to do lots of things, from skydiving to reading a book on a stormy day. She was so outgoing, well rounded, and loving. I'm going to miss her," states her granddaughter, Christina. Ms. Sebring has a brother, children, and grandchildren who will miss her dearly. -- Alexis Sebring, Carlsbad H.S.

Emma Jean Burton died in her sleep on Saturday night in her Malibu home at the age of 95. She is survived by her 97-year-old husband, Hayden Burton, and their children, Noah and Jessica. Mrs. Burton was born in San Diego, where she lived for most of her childhood. She later attended New York University, where she studied film and journalism. Promptly after graduating, the New Yorker magazine hired her to write a column that quickly became popular for the way it addressed controversial issues and helped positively change the world. After several years of writing for the New Yorker, she became inspired to create films out of several of her column topics. Some of the Oscar-winning films she created and directed include Someday and Stolen Dream.

Emma Seemann met Hayden Burton in 2008; they married in 2014. They traveled all over Europe and the Caribbean but eventually settled in Malibu, where Hayden started his successful architectural business and they raised their two children. The proximity of Hollywood allowed Emma to work on films while staying close to her family.

In addition to her love for writing and filmmaking, Emma enjoyed reading and riding horses. When she and Hayden moved to Malibu, he bought her a white warmblood named Superman.

"Emma lived such a full life," reminisces Hayden. "She was always so determined and passionate about it; she had a mission to show the world the truth, and because of her, society changed for the better."

A memorial service will be held today on the beach, where Emma enjoyed walking with her husband and riding her horse. Donations can be made to Changes, the scholarship program set up by Emma and Hayden that funds young individuals wishing to pursue careers in critical journalism. -- Emma Seemann, Carlsbad H.S.

Derrick Sun was 90 years old when he passed away. He was born in Texas on August 22, 1988, and grew up in San Diego. He had loving parents and a not-so-loving and always sleepy sister. Mr. Sun did very well in elementary, middle, and high school. He graduated from Mt. Carmel High School in 2006 and then went on to study journalism and photography at the University of Southern California. He graduated with honors in 2010 and then took a year off to travel the world. He visited over 20 countries, making it one of the best years of his life.

Mr. Sun then went to graduate school at New York University, where he got a master's in photography. He got a job as a photojournalist at the New York Times right out of school. At the New York Times, he met his future wife, a writer. They were married two years later.

Mr. Sun then got a job as a photographer for Vogue. He spent the next 15 years as a feature and fashion photographer in New York and Paris. He and his wife had two children, a boy and a girl. They moved to San Diego to raise their children while Derrick balanced an occasional photo shoot in New York for Vogue. After both kids left home, Mr. Sun took on a job as a photographer for National Geographic , combining his passion for photography and travel. He died due to natural causes in his home in San Diego. -- Derrick Sun, Mt. Carmel H.S.

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