Katie Nicole Rubin

Katie Nicole Rubin, 25, born on June 16, 1989 in Washington DC, passed away March 10, 2015. She resided in Saugus, California, at the time of her passing. Arrangements are under the direction of Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California.

For My Darling Katie…..
Hello everyone.
This is the second time in my life that I have had to do this. It does not get any easier. In fact, it gets harder. Especially today. I promise to do my best. My job here today is to talk to you about Katie Nicole Rubin and to take you on a brief journey through her all too short life.
On behalf of Katie's Mom, Alicia, as well as her sister Emily and brother John, I want to thank you for attending this memorial for our sweet Katie. She was our angel, and one of the sweetest people you have ever met.

25 years, 9 months, and 5 days ago on June 16th, 1989, I received the greatest birthday present a man can receive….Katie Nicole Rubin. Katie is our youngest child and I will always remember that day. She was in such a hurry to enter this world. Alicia to me said at about 5:00 am on that Friday, "It's time to go! And we better hurry!" We jumped into the car, raced to the Hospital in downtown Washington D.C., and arrived at 5:52 am. I wheeled Alicia in as fast as I could. Katie was born at 6:00. Just made it! Whew! She was not only born on my birthday, but the same day of the week and the same time of the day. That was just the beginning…...(pause)....nothing about Katie was ordinary. In fact she was extraordinary. My job today is not to have you focus on mourning for our Katie, as we are all doing in our own way, but to take you on the journey that was her life and show you just how EXTRAORDINARY she was.
Katie was always friendly and outgoing to a fault. This trait surfaced at quite a young age. I remember at the age of about two or three. I would give my wife a break and take our three kids to the grocery store on Sunday mornings. All of them piled into the grocery cart, Katie in the seat. As we would go through the aisles, she would talk to total strangers and ask, "Can I hug you?" with her arms stretched out and with the biggest smile. This happened all the time whenever we were out and just about anywhere. At first, as any parent would do, you teach your child to be cautious and 'don't talk to strangers' I would say. It didn't matter, she did it anyway. She just wanted to make friends and the concept of not being allowed to talk to people and get to know them was alien to her.
After a while, we as her parents just learned to accept that this was how she was and to do the best we could. I even treated it as a game sometimes….I just wanted to see the reaction of those she approached. It was amazing. She was infectious and everyone wanted to get to know her, however brief the time may be.
Katie developed as a sweet and outgoing young person and continued on throughout life with those traits.
In July of 1999, we moved from Maryland to Los Angeles. I received a job transfer here. The first night here in Los Angeles, we ate at a Cuban Restaurant, Versailles, on La Cienega. We sat down as a family for the first time in a long while due to the hectic transition. As we are sitting there with the menu's, Katie begins to get this sad and preoccupied look on her face. Alicia asks her, "What's wrong?" Katie says "there is a homeless man outside the window and he wants something to eat. We should get him something." Alicia and I both explained that this happens sometimes, don't worry, he will be OK. She wouldn't have any of it. She became inconsolable. Katie wanted him to have something to eat. "Give him mine" she said. Ultimately, we bought him a dinner and she gave it to him. She was happy. That, in a nutshell, is Katie.
Katie continued to grow into a young woman in the most beautiful way. I don't have to tell anyone here that. We all know. And so did she. Never went out until she was ready. She was our Miss Universe.
Speaking of Universe, Katie had a strong love for Astronomy, Stars, and the Heavens. (Which is where she is now by the way). You can see by her telescope behind me, the stars on the pews, and the stars on the carpet in the aisle, that we want each of you to be reminded and celebrate that this was her true passion. She had hoped to be an astronomer someday. She spent many a night gazing at the stars with her Astronomy club that she formed. She even went away to the University of Arizona one summer for a program tailored to adults. She was the youngest one there. But did she feel uncomfortable? Nope. She fit right in and made a new group of lifelong friends. (Take out Laser) See this? This is what Katie used to point to the stars in the sky at night.
She would light it skyward and say just what the star's name was. Now, I will be able to take this laser, point it skyward, and see my star Katie in the nighttime sky.

The past two years were rough for Katie. She battled illness after illness. All throughout however, she remained hopeful and strong. I honestly have never met a person so strong and resilient. No matter what was thrown at her, she bounced back. Eventually though, she contracted a bad infection in both kidneys. We had to start thinking about how she could get through this. One way was to have a transplant. Both Alicia and I were good matches, but, since she was Daddy's little girl, I was a better one. She always said she knew that, and deep down, so did I. We proceeded down that path quickly. I was in a hurry to give her what she needed, as would any of you here for your own child. The kidney worked perfectly from the start. But, Katie being Katie, she complained that my kidney was just too big for her body. "It doesn't fit" she would say. I said, "Never mind about that", you have a certified pre-owned part and it's working perfectly!
Sunday, March 8th, was the last night our family will ever be together again. The occasion was a dinner to celebrate the birthday of Katie's brother, John Jr. All of us had a great time. After dinner, Katie gathered up her leftovers and mine and put them in a box to take home. On the way out of the restaurant, there was a homeless man. Without missing a beat, Katie gave him our dinners and wished him a good night.…..right up until the end she did not miss a beat.
March 10th, 2015 was the saddest day of my life. We lost a daughter, a sister, and a friend. Not only did a big piece of me die on that day, but a small piece did too.
Rest in Peace our sweet girl. We will always love you and miss you.
Love,
Dad