ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We extend our deepest gratitude to the entire medical team at Boston Medical Center, whose care and compassion brought comfort during Kizzy’s final days. We also extend our appreciation to stepmother Yessenia Ruiz for her presence and support in the hospital.
A heartfelt thank you to her soul sister, Kelly Morales; her dear friend Nisha A. Clunes; and her fellow believer and protector, Debora Mukwenda, whose love, presence, and prayers never wavered.
To the village that has gotten us this far into life, we thank you and extend all the gratitude to uplifting us through such a difficult time. Thank you to the aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family near and far.
Kizzy’s life was a blessing, her memory a treasure, and her love infectious to all she encountered. She is loved beyond words and missed beyond measure.
The Bernardino, Ortiz & Ruiz Family wishes to thank you for your prayers, expressions of love, kindness, and support shown during this time of her illness and our bereavement.
May God bless and keep you safe.
490 Columbia Road, Boston, MA 02125
www.floydawilliamsfuneralhome.com
She moved through the world like morning light gentle, golden, impossible to forget. In every place she touched, something began to bloom.
A daughter of the sun and sea, Kizzy carried her roots like a rhythm, a melody shaped by lands and languages, faith and fierce love braided into her stride.
She was fluent in kindness, fluent in purpose teaching others how to find home, how to hold hope, how to lift the soul through sound and truth.
Even in silence, you could feel her in the scent of simmering meals, in laughter that curled like music around the hearts of those near.
She believed deeply in things unseen in God, in healing, in the sacred work of showing up. And she did, again and again.
Though time has drawn its veil, her presence does not dim. She is the hush before prayer, the echo in a favorite song, the warmth in rooms she once filled.
No names need be called for those who love her, know. Their grief is a garden, and in its soil, Kizzy’s legacy grows.
Let us not mourn what was taken, but rise in what was given. Her light remains not behind us, but ahead.
Blessings From Your Director ~ PAUSE
In addition to her ministry, Kizzy also served as a Housing and Mortgage Counselor at NACA, where she empowered countless individuals and families to achieve and maintain homeownership. Her guidance was transformative, offering not just financial solutions, but dignity, stability, and hope. Many credit her with changing the course of their lives.
Those who knew Kizzy will forever remember her infectious laughter, generous spirit, and remarkable depth of knowledge-from curly hair care and holistic wellness to music, anime, and K-pop dramas. She was a brilliant conversationalist who deeply appreciated Technical Lyricism.
She had exquisite taste, loved quality brands, and carried herself with elegance and authenticity. In her final months, Kizzy found profound joy in cooking for her family, creating nourishing meals that brought the family together. It became one of her greatest acts of love.
She was a fitness enthusiast, a devoted sister, a loving aunt, and a true friend. Throughout her journey, Kizzy demonstrated extraordinary courage and resilience-remaining strong and brave through every challenge she faced, holding steadfast to her faith.
Kizzy is survived by her loving mother, Dinorah Bernardino, her kind father, Luis Radhames Ruiz, and her devoted stepfather, Anibal Expedy Ortiz and caring stepmother, Yessenia Ruiz.
She is cherished by her sisters: Jadirah Josefina Ortiz Bernardino and Aura Jakiz Ortiz Franklin, along with her paternal siblings: Patricia Ruiz, Christine Ruiz, Gabriel Vasquez, and Gabriela Vasquez Garcias.
She is preceded in death by her beloved brother, George Ruiz, who passed on August 31, 2023.
She is forever remembered by her beloved nieces, Ja'nyah Aaliyah McIntosh Ortiz and Madalin Franklin, and her adored nephew, Quinn Avery Franklin.
