Nia Kalinda Carrico-Diener

Nia Kalinda Carrico-Diener was born on October 6, 1993, in Los Gatos, California, and passed away on July 2, 2026.

She grew up in Cupertino and Aptos and spent much of her adult life in the Santa Cruz Mountains and along the beaches she loved. There was something about the water and nature that spoke to her. She could spend hours walking along the shoreline looking for sea glass or walking through a second-hand store looking for "vintage"...always finding beauty in things others might simply pass by. That was Nia. She had a gift for seeing value where others didn't.

Nia loved the environment and cared deeply about protecting it. She loved antiquing and had an incredible eye for finding forgotten treasures that she could restore, repurpose, or pass along to someone who would love them as much as she did. She never seemed interested in possessions for their own sake. What made her happiest was sharing what she found with the people she cared about.

She loved her dog, Stevie Nicks. If you knew Nia, this is who she was. She was caring. She was funny. She had a very endearing way about her. She was thoughtful, compassionate, and had a heart that seemed to have room for everyone. She loved deeply, cared fiercely (sometimes too fiercely), and had a way of making people feel accepted just as they were.

The people Nia loved mattered more to her than anything else. She truly loved her sisters, Annie, Cassidy, Abigail, Catalina, and Tatiana, and she loved her older brother, Quinton and his wife Marlys. Like every family, ours had seasons that were more difficult than others, but Nia never stopped loving them. She spoke of each of them often, thought about them more than many people realized and was very proud of them, and she especially cherished watching her youngest sisters grow, celebrating who they were becoming, laughing with them, and simply spending time together. They brought her so much happiness, and the love they shared will remain with them always.

She held her Grammie and Billpie, Ellen Carrico and Bill Hawthorne, very close to her heart and shared a special bond with her uncles, especially Mikey and his wife Heather.

As her dad, I keep searching for the right words, but I don't think they exist.

I'm supposed to be the one who taught Nia about life, but the truth is she taught me just as much. She made me a better father, a better man, and a better person. I have often felt undeserving of the relationship we shared, and I will always be grateful that I was blessed to be her dad.

I have always been proud of her—not because she was perfect, but because she was authentically herself. She lived with kindness, curiosity, and an enormous heart. She made her little part of the world brighter.

There is an ache in my heart now that I know will never completely heal. I miss hearing her voice. I miss her laugh. I miss knowing I could call her. I miss the future I imagined for her and for all of us spending time together. The world feels quieter without her in it, and mine always will.

Nia is survived by her mother, Pamela Carrico Larwood; her older brother, Quinton Diener; her sisters, Annie Carrico Ellis, Cassidy Carrico Ellis, Abigail Elizabeth Diener, Catalina Nia Diener, and Tatiana Quinn Diener; her Grammie and Billpie, her Uncle Jimmy, her Uncle Mikey, and her father, Chris Diener and his wife, Tatiana Diener and many dear family and friends whose lives are richer because they knew her.

Please remember Nia when you walk on a beach, when you find a piece of sea glass, when you rescue something old and give it new life, or when you choose kindness...and if you happen to hear a Stevie Nicks or Counting Crows song, I hope you'll think of Nia, smile, and remember the beautiful soul she was.

A celebration of Nia's life will be held on Thursday, July 23, at 12:00 noon at Natural Bridges State Beach, a place we would frequent when she was younger and that she loved so much. Family and friends are invited to gather, share memories, and celebrate the joy, kindness, and love that Nia brought into our lives.

My sweet girl,

Being your dad has been one of the greatest Blessings of my life. From the moment you came into this world, you changed me for the better in more ways than you'll ever know. Thank you for letting me walk beside you through your life—for every laugh, every conversation, every lesson, and every memory we shared. You brought joy not only to me, but to so many people whose lives were brighter because you were in them. I miss you more than words could ever express, and I know I always will.

I will carry you in my heart for the rest of my life.

You are beautiful.

You are smart.

I love you.

Dad