Tess Marie Mata had a jar full of cash in her purple bedroom — money she had saved up for a family vacation at Disney World.
Relatives told The Washington Post that she also loved the Nickelodeon show “Victorious” and the Houston Astros.
Ten-year-old Tess was among 21 persons whose lives were cut short in a mass shooting at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 24, 2022.
Tess was athletic; she could do the splits and practiced softball.
Tessy — as some of her friends and family called her — had a contagious laugh, said her sister Faith Mata.
“Sissy I miss you so much, I just want to hold you and tell you how pretty you are,” Faith wrote on Facebook. “We have one sassy guardian angel that I know is going to protect our family.”
Sisters Maelee Haynie, 16, and Mackenzie Haynie, 17, remember Tess as an introverted girl who loved her cat. They also Tess was best friends with their younger sister.
Together they watched one video of Tess and their little sister performing a friendship handshake, which ended with the two girls jumping triumphantly to a chest bump.
* All images reproduced from Tess Marie Mata’s tribute video on rekfunerals.com
* Tribute adapted from Tess’ official obituary on rekfunerals.com
