Christian James DeLaCerda was a small-town country boy. Born June 4th, 2001, on Galveston Island, Texas, to David Forrest DeLaCerda, and Jennifer Lynn Grigsby.
Christian was a happy, beautiful baby boy. Born 9lbs, 6ozs, about one minute after arriving at labor and delivery. Leaving little time for anyone to prepare. He was proudly delivered by his Daddy, and two very upset nurses in a prep room, yelling at us, "You cannot have that baby in here!"
Christian was our brightest light in enormous devastation. Just prior to Christian's birth, his two sisters, Caroline (7), and Alexis (6), were killed in a terrible drowning in Texas City. Explaining what his sweet soul meant to his big brother and sister, David and Ashleigh, and his mom and dad back then... would be as impossible to put into words as the grief we are feeling today. He gave us a reason to go on... to feel the sunshine again, when life was so dark. He saved us once. I always told him, during his own difficult moments in life, "Don't you ever forget, you are so special... One time, you saved us all!"
Christian moved to Santa Fe, TX with his family, when he was not quite two years old. There, surrounded by large oak trees, towering pecans, and wide-open fields... Christian quickly learned to love all things outdoors. BB Guns, Baseball, and Monster Trucks! As a little boy, Christian loved baseball. Before he was old enough for a team, he used to tag along with his older brother, David, to Runge Park. Playing wall ball and lingering around the concessions, where he could see all the games at once. In 2007, Christian played on his first "real" team, for one of his favorite coaches ever, Chris David and the St. Louis Cardinals. That year they never lost a game and won the City Championship. Christian hit the winning home run. Every boy's goal was to "hit it over the fence". Christian even did it once. He ran, screaming to us, "That was a hundred bucks!" His proud Dad, jokingly responded, "Nope! You didn't hit my truck!" He still got the hundred bucks! Watching those boys play ball was every bit as exciting as an Astro's game. The bonds they formed, so fierce, they still exist today.
Christian was an old soul. He possessed a charisma that attracted people. He loved Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Waylon, Willie, and Hank. We were always amazed and never surprised at his courage. We'd take him to Baytown to see "Pink's All Out". He'd wind up talking with all the guys you'd see on TV... like they were best friends. During one season of the NHRA O'Reilly Nationals, Christian and his brother Emilio were watching the winning run. Standing there by the fences near the Winner's Circle with their Dad. Somehow or other, Christian wound up AT the Winner's Circle, with Tony Schumacher, taking photos and getting hats and autographs. By the time David got to them, they were having a full conversation, Christian telling him about all the cars and trucks he was learning about with his Dad and brothers.  Impressing Tony so much, that when seen again, years later, he still remembered Christian.
Christian's teenage years were spent mudding on Hwy 3, spending time with his friends at his Dad's shop in LaMarque, and learning how to build trucks. Christian's closest friends were his brothers. Where you saw Christian, you usually saw Emilio and David. The boys didn't, "spend the night", anywhere. Everyone, "spent the night" with them. There were always more than the three boys. Many other kids grew up in that shop, right along with them. They learned many trades used in their lives today, tools that have given them direction. They taught each other things and were always going back and forth with each other on different builds... performance, and Christian loved muscle cars and super cars. Christian's first truck ever was our old white Ford Crew Cab F350.
Christian was so proud the first time he got to drive it to school. He was always cleaning it, painting it, buying new parts for it. Affectionately known around Santa Fe as "Great White," Christian swore he'd never get rid of that truck, and still had it. Currently, he was swapping the gas motor for diesel, and was proud of every step of his work. Always showing pictures of his progress. It was a goal he had since high school. He was determined to finish it.
Once, he sang, "I'm All Shook Up" at the Republic of Texas, San Antonio, live to his mamma, on her birthday. The house was full. By the end of the Elvis song, and the beginning of Ice Ice Baby, Christian had literally 3 ladies, singing backup. We sat, wondering, "Who is this superstar, and where is our 9-year-old kid?" He loved learning about the History of America. He loved San Antonio and the Alamo. He loved to spend time in the summer floating down the Guadalupe River with family and friends. He loved going to new places and meeting new people. He never met a stranger, and he was never too busy to sit and hear the tales of an old man. He took away all the lessons from things. I never saw Christian make the same mistake twice. If he did make a mistake, he corrected it, and learned from it, and never went that route again.
Christian was an avid car collector, Ford Man, Mustang lover, horse lover, baby kisser, and children adored him. The one thing he knew he always wanted to be was a father. He was kind. His heart was just and good, all the time. You saw him go through difficult times, but he didn't blame anyone, and never felt sorry for himself. He just got up every day, dug in, and worked as hard as he could to make it better. He loved with his whole heart and could not stand to see his friends or family hurt or do without. He was never the type of person to need to be asked. Christian saw it needed to be done, Christian did it. He was very much a man's man. He was a good, solid friend you could trust.  He was the "Yes Ma'am, No Ma'am type." Even for the smallest answers. He never missed an opportunity to carry groceries for a woman, or to open the door and hold it for someone. He never let his mamma, or his girl open a car door. He would help us in, and then he got out first, went around, and opened the door to let us out. If we didn't wait, he would get insulted and make us get back in. He believed in being a protector. He believed in looking after people when they needed looking after.
Christian was educated in Santa Fe, Texas, all of his life. He attended Santa Fe High School, and he loved his hometown. He graduated with the class of 2019. In his short life, graduation day has become a milestone. Looking back, it's easy to see the reflection of so much effort and dedication on his own part. He never thought of leaving, going someplace else. He demanded of himself that he finish and collect that diploma for all those who could not. He made it his responsibility to be there for so many kids, like himself, that struggled throughout that last year. He was committed to success, and he succeeded. "One Tribe"
Following high school, not quite sure what he wanted to do, he tried a few jobs. He worked briefly at O'Reilly's in Texas City, and really liked the time he spent there. He enjoyed his co-workers and customers. Christian left his position, wanting to get a place of his own, and began working at Mac Haik Toyota, in League City, TX. It was a great opportunity for Christian and he received his ASC certifications there. He loved his bosses and talked about Jimmy often. Jimmy was hard on him, and it made him better, and he appreciated it.
Shortly thereafter, in September of 2022, Christian met the love of his life, Heighlee. Christian was so in love, and they did all those things you hear about and just sigh.  They loved to dance alone, in the moonlight. Christian would take her to RJ Wollam, in the drive up lights, Chocolate Bayou Bridge, or some lonely road in the middle of nowhere. Headlights on, dancing to Luke Combs, Lovin' on You.   He never forgot the little things. He couldn't wait, the first night he met her... he woke us up to tell us he had met the woman he was going to marry.
He meant it. It wasn't a couple weeks and they had moved in together. He couldn't wait to get home and see her every night. I'm more than sure they missed each other while they were sleeping. They had the kind of love that makes people envious, because it's so hard to find. They took care of each other. Christian said Heighlee made him feel like he was "home," no matter where he was, as long as he had her by his side. He swore he'd never do anything to make her leave him and he swore he'd never let her go. Christian drove her to Louisianna to ask her Daddy for her hand in marriage. I don't think "no" was an option, so thank God the answer was yes! He was so happy, and as they were making plans for their wedding, they were blessed with news that a baby was on the way. Christian was beaming. He bought himself some new "jorts" and was so proud. He bought "dad" shoes, and baby stuff, puffed his tummy out and said, "check out my dad bod," and didn't care, boy or girl, he could not wait to meet that baby! He worried about Heighlee being alone. He was working long hours away from home. He decided the best way for him to build a life for them was to go the entrepreneurial route and start his own business. Delacerda Diesel Company, "DDC". He moved his family to a nice little house in Santa Fe, and worked every day to make a life they could be proud of. His work is all around us. We see trucks on the highway and people we've never met... show us and tell us, how awesome he was as a diesel mechanic. How has someone so young, with so little time, completed so many projects?
Christian's beautiful daughter, Magnolia Mae DeLaCerda, was born on August 28th, 2023. Christian had only 41 days with her, but he loved her every second and minute of each hour, in every day, of all of them. He looked at her with such amazement and adoration. To be fair, she's the most beautiful little girl you'll ever lay your eyes on. He felt like he'd won the lottery! When he would tell people about his family, he could hardly contain himself, he loved them so much. His whole face would brighten up and his eyes would sparkle, just saying their names. Every day, from morning till dark, he spent, with them. Working, trying to carve out an existence in a hard economy with a smile on his face and a song in his heart. He worried for nothing but "his girls". I have no doubt, Chrisitan was being, and was going to be, the best Daddy anyone could possibly ask for. It was his goal. He was succeeding.
Christian was tragically and unexpectedly killed early on the morning of October 7th, 2023. He was a passenger in a vehicle that lost control and left the roadway, striking a pole... and taking Christian away from so many family members and friends that loved him so much. None more tragically, than Heighlee and Magnolia. I know he wanted to stay. Someone said, "God had other plans," although Christian's plan was much better. Together, with Christian's many close friends, our family will do everything we can to protect them both. We will never be able to fill the huge void his death has left behind.
Our family will miss the happiness that he brought with him, wherever he went. We will miss his bright smile, his warm hugs, the love he possessed. We will miss the funny jokes he told and all the daily pictures he shared of his work and his family. I'll miss hearing the boys say a silly movie line, and yell "What Movie!" and Christian always had the right answer. The three of them could go on for days. A perfect impersonator of Trump, "Trademark", "Fake News". "My boys". A term for a circle of love, now forever broken. "My Girls". A broken expression we will change, now "Our Girls". We will fight for them son. You rest easy baby, until we see you again.
Christian was preceded in death by sisters, Caroline DeLaCerda and Alexis DeLaCerda, of Galveston, TX. His grandfather James Thomas Grigsby, of McCamey, TX, and his great grandmother, Eloisa DeLaCerda, of Galveston, TX, uncle, Mark Manka, of Panna Maria, TX, and great uncle's, Lorenzo DeLaCerda, of Galveston, TX, and Frank DeLaCerda, of Texas City.
Christian is survived by his fiancée, Heighlee Knight, his beautiful daughter, Magnolia Mae DeLaCerda, his parent's, David DeLaCerda and Jennifer DeLaCerda, his brothers, David DeLaCerda II, and Emilio DeLaCerda, niece, Mila DeLaCerda, all of Santa Fe, Texas. His uncle, Lorenzo "Joey" DeLaCerda, of Galveston, TX, and special cousins, Kandice, Jacob, and Kaden DeLaCerda.
His brother-in-law and sister, Justin Lee and Ashleigh Lee, his niece and nephew, Caroline Lee and Wyatt Lee, of Waller, TX.   Grandmother, Shirley Rux Baker, grandfather, Joe "Pepe" DeLaCerda, and partner, Shirley Fields, his great aunt Gloria DeLaCerda, and great uncle, Manuel "Dillon" DeLaCerda, special cousin, Evette Smith, grandparents, Ronnie Pourchot and Vicki Pourchot, his uncle, Ryan Pourchot, and aunt, Mandie Pourchot. Aunt, Delma Manka, and special cousin, Natalie Manka, of Panna Maria, TX. A great uncle, Kenneth Idom, of Lubbock, TX., grandmother, Terri Hargis, and uncle, Joshua Whitehead, of Coffeyville, KS. Numerous other special cousins, in laws, and friends are not mentioned.
Christian leaves a giant hole where our hearts used to be. We will grieve his loss forever.

Pallbearers will be:
David DeLaCerda, II, Emilio DeLaCerda, Robert Montemayor, Charles "DJ" Douglas Wilson, Jr., Braxton Moorer, and Hunter Pearson
Honorary Pallbearers will be:
Justin Lee, Travis Lee, Jagger Dodson, Matt Ramos, Colton Zaleski, Tyler Ray, and Kole Dixon

A visitation will be held at Carnes Brothers Funeral Home, 1201 23rd Street, Galveston, TX 77550 on Friday, October 20th, 2023, from 5:00 pm -- 8:00 pm.

Last Ride from Galveston to Runge Park, in Santa Fe, TX, leaving from Carnes Brothers Funeral Home on Saturday the 21st of October at 9:00 am.

Public services will be held at Runge Park, 4605 Peck St, Santa Fe, TX 77517 on Saturday, the 21st of October, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.
A private celebration of life for closest friends and family will be held at the family home in Santa Fe, TX. following the services.