Kimberly Dawn Ishii-Rivera

 Kimberly Dawn Sanderson Ishii-Rivera

1980 -2024

“Kimberly already had her wings and halo, she was already an angel.”

Kimberly was born on December 22, 1980 in Kealakekua, on the Big Island of Hawaii. She was the only child of Debi and Donnie Sanderson. Kim graduated from Konawaena High School in Hawaii. She grew up in the beautiful and quiet town of Kailua Kona. She spent all her free time with her toes in the sand and hair flowing with the ocean.

Kim started a beautiful family in Kona. Her two amazing children, Maegan Poli’ahu and Jacob Keanu kept her so busy playing in their favorite spots including Keiki Ponds, Pine Trees, and Kua Bay. Kim’s favorite thing in the whole world was raising these two amazing kids.

In 2008 she moved to fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada where she continued to blossom into a gorgeous person beyond measure. With her bright smile, she befriended so many amazing people. She had a huge heart and held her arms and home open for all whom she loved. She MADE us a part of her family. She had fun bartending, became a manager for a few restaurants and became an extremely talented and highly sought-after cosmetologist.

Kim followed her dad’s footsteps as a hardcore Raiders fan. Some of her favorite memories were spending the day with Maegan at a Raiders-Chargers game and a day with Jacob tailgating and cheering at the Raiders-Pittsburg game just this last year.

A Tim Burton movie was always playing at Kim’s house. Beetlejuice, Corpse Bride and Nightmare Before Christmas were her all-time favorite movies. Her favorite characters were Jack Skellington and Oogie Boogie.

As an avid concert-goer, some of her favorite bands were Guns N’ Roses, Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, and Five Finger Death Punch. Her girl crush, Maria Brink (lead singer of In This Moment) soothed her ears on any given day. She was overly proud that she and Maegan had the dance routines to New Edition’s music videos memorized.

Kim had this amazing gift of turning any random food ingredients into a ridiculously delicious gourmet meal. She had multiple coveted recipes that became yearly traditions. Jacob loved her “Deadly Porkchops” and Maegan loved her “Chicken Soup and Dumplings Made From Scratch”. She loved making “Portuguese Bean Soup” with Christmas ham.

We know Kim is now reunited with her favorite people in the whole world- her dad, Donnie and her Nana Trish. In heaven she is also now bathed in puppy kisses from Jed Dog and Rocco.

Kimberly is survived by her mother, Debi Sanderson, her children, Maegan Rivera and Jacob Rivera, Jacob’s girlfriend Alyxx Tinsley, her children’s father, Rusty Ishii-Rivera, her life partner, Mark Omaya and his three sons, Chase, Jordan, and Zayne, her step-mother, Katherine Sanderson, and her best friends, Erika Morales, Amy Cherrier, Amber Floyd, and her childhood best friends, Lindsey Engelhard, Chelsea Duke, Mele Ke, Maria Vega, and Kalae Yonemura. She has also leaves behind dozens of wonderful and close friends who call her not only a best friend, but a sister. Kim will forever live in our hearts.

“Kimberly already had her wings and halo, she was already an angel. Not even heaven deserves her.” – Mark Omaya