Sheena Lily Salinas

On March 28, 1985 Sheena Lily Salinas was born to Jesse and Diana Salinas in Tulare, CA. Growing up as the ‘baby’ of 4 siblings- Sonny (11 years older), Anjelica (7 years older), and Marisa (11 months older)- Sheena was the quintessential little sister that bridged many of the attributes of her family members. Funny, creative, athletic… she was simply good at everything she ever tried. She would write silly elaborate songs trolling her siblings and belt them out to the hilarity of her family members. When she was in pee-wee softball, she would literally hit a homerun every single time she went to bat. When she played defense, her teammates would run across the field to get the ball and run back placing the ball in her hand so that she could make the play. This continued at Roosevelt School as she was consistently the smallest person on the team but always won MVP on the basketball court. Because of her speed she briefly joined track and ran for California Express, winning across multiple events in statewide track meets. Her athletics and curious nature lent to her being a daredevil at home too. She constantly was coming up with new tricks for her and her sister to attempt… much to the chagrin of neighbors that consistently told her parents of what they were up to. While she was super outgoing and mischievous at home with her tight-knit family, funny enough, she was much more straight laced at school whereby her being studious and organized meant that she needed to meet the expectations of her teachers.
By the time Sheena was in junior high at Mulcahy School, her love of sports had shifted to really finding a passion in music. In 6th grade she started playing trumpet and her creativity and artistic talents really blossomed through musical expression. She was invited to be a part of Mulcahy’s Jazz Band and because of her abilities, her music director had her trying out several instruments. Her musical taste had sprouted into rock and then metal of various genres. Around 14 years old, as a freshman at Tulare Western High School, she discovered Kittie. Kittie was a Canadian metal band comprised of teenage girls. Given that Sheena would take up the bass guitar, the electric guitar, and loved metal music- she found inspiration in these young female musicians that were pushing the bounds of a genre dominated by men. She became Kittie’s biggest fan. Despite what sounded like non-descript screaming to the untrained ear, she could sing all of their lyrics and followed them to their concerts throughout California, often bringing her friends and sisters along. And while Sheena loved metal, any of her tight-knit group of friends from Roosevelt to Western could attest that she was as soft as she was dark… indulging in the corny bubblegum pop music of Britney Spears. Because that’s who Sheena was, a silly, sarcastically funny, creative and unique person that refused to adhere to social norms that put her in a box and told her who to be. Her ability to befriend people from drastically different social locations is probably the most telling of her dynamic character and multi-faceted interests. She truly was good at everything she took up and so her many diverging paths she took on led her to meet so many very different wonderful people whom she built lasting bonds with.
After she graduated from Tulare Western in 2003, she would go on to play the bass and electric guitar for several bands located in the valley. She loved performing on stage. Shortly after, she wanted to flex her creative abilities in another way and decided to go to culinary school. There she met great friends and really soared in her abilities to create meticulously crafted cuisines that entailed attention to detail. Ultimately she wanted to be a chef for a fine dining restaurant. After losing her brother in 2010, she reunited with her childhood crush, Samson Sanchez. After serving in the military, Samson returned to his hometown of Tulare and Sheena found solace in his companionship. Sheena and Samson would move to Washington to be with his kids Isabel and Jacob Sanchez and build a life there as husband and wife. In 2015 they had their daughter Scarlet. Scarlet was Sheena’s entire world. Sharing Sheena’s silly and funny personality, quick wit with clever comebacks, athleticism, love for animals, culinary capabilities and musical taste, so much of who Scarlet is has been shaped by her mama’s loving impression. She loved to teach her new things and whether it be Scarlet’s uncanny gaming abilities, her baking cookies from scratch together, cheering on the 49ers in the midst of seahawk territory, or singing Paramore from her little pink jeep, Sheena had nothing but love and absolute adoration for her baby girl as the 2 of them were always glued to one another. We know Sheena’s greatest wish is for Scarlet to truly understand how much she loved her with absolutely no bounds and that she represented Sheena’s greatest creation. She took so much pride in how smart, kind, athletic, and funny Scarlet is and yet those of us that intimately know both know how much of a reflection of her mom she is.
Sheena passed away on December 29,, 2018. And while she may not be in the physical realm with us, she absolutely continues to love on Scarlet and the rest of the family from the spiritual realm. We know she is in heaven with her Levi’s, chili boots with spurs, and her Kittie shirt playing her bass with the greats looking down on us surrounding by her family and pets. She is joined there by her brother Santino “Sonny” Salinas, her grandparents Joaquin and Pauline Duran and Jesus and Librada “Lili” Salinas, and her uncle Gilbert Salinas. She is survived by her husband Samson Sanchez and children Scarlet Salinas-Sanchez, Jacob and Isabel Sanchez; parents Jesse and Diana Salinas; sisters Anjelica and Marisa Salinas (Ruben Casillas); nephews Anthony Salinas-Martinho and Santino “Sonny” Casillas-Salinas; and in-laws Rachel Sanchez and Jaime & Diane Sanchez; sister in-law Sarina Sanchez and niece Kora along with many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Services will be held on Thursday, January 16, 2020 at 11am at Saint Rita’s Catholic Church in Tulare, CA with burial at the North Tulare Cemetery with reception to follow