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Obituary: Heather Marie Hobkirk: October 1, 1988 –June 21, 2007

Heather Marie Hobkirk, the beloved 18-year-old-daughter of Brentwood residents Carl William and Christina Giancola Hobkirk, passed away suddenly on the morning of Thursday, June 21, 2007 after a severe epileptic seizure. Heather attended Roosevelt Elementary School, Lincoln Middle School (where her father is an assistant principal), and Santa Monica High School. When her epilepsy emerged during her junior year at SAMO, she transferred to a community day school associated with UCLA Medical Center and was to have graduated with her class on the day she died. Santa Monica High School, however, awarded her a diploma posthumously. She is also survived by her brother Kyle, 17, and sisters Katie, 12, and Erin, 9.

Heather was born on October 1, 1988 at Santa Monica Hospital. A lifelong resident of Santa Monica and Brentwood, she received her first holy communion at St. Monica’s with Monsignor Torgeson, who will lead Heather’s services, and attended St. Clements Catholic Church and Brentwood Presbyterian Church, where the family now attends regular services. She was strong in her faith and enjoyed her participation in Brentwood Presbyterian youth groups along with her brother and sisters. In April she was able to participate in her second trip with the church to build homes for impoverished families in Tijuana. This trip was led by Roche Vermaak, a pastor at Brentwood Presbyterian Church, who will co-lead services for Heather. The family is comforted by the fact that Dr. Janice Miyakawa, who delivered Heather, was also present when she passed.

Heather loved to sing and was a member of Lincoln, SAMO, and Brentwood Presbyterian choirs. She also loved to write poetry and draw. She was a member of the Girl Scouts and recently received the Gold Award, the highest rank in Girl Scouting. The award required a community service project, and Heather chose to build a “magic tree house” for the classroom of her second grade Roosevelt teacher, Leslie Talt. Heather played volleyball in the City of Santa Monica’s sports programs. She also participated in Rosie’s Girls, a popular summer program that develops confidence, leadership, and life skills for middle school girls. She was looking forward to participating in its emeritus program. In addition to all of these activities, Heather attended the National Epilepsy Foundation’s summer camp at Lake Arrowhead for the past two summers and was looking forward to attending this summer. Heather was particularly proud when she returned to Santa Monica High School in May to attend her senior prom.

A memorial mass for Heather Marie Hobkirk will be held at 10:30am, Friday, July 6, at Saint Monica’s Catholic Community, 725 California Avenue. Reception and luncheon will follow immediately after the service. There will be music, laughter and food for all at Lincoln Middle School, 1501 California Avenue. Parking will be available at Lincoln on the basketball courts. SMMUSD yellow school buses will relay guests from the school to the church starting at 9:45am. These same buses will also relay guests back to the school after the service.

In lieu of flowers, the “Heather Hobkirk Memorial Fund” has been set up at First Federal Bank. Gifts will be used to support the family and to set up scholarships in Heather’s name for two programs: The National Epilepsy Foundation Summer Camp Fund and the Brentwood Presbyterian Church (BPC) Senior High Mexico Work Trip for families living in the poblaciones of Tijuana. Contact information is the following: First Federal Bank, 1630 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA, 90403, attention: Rory. The phone number is 310 829 4477.

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