May 22, 1954 – January 18, 2023
Vivian “Sissy” Caris alias Reynders (née Thompson) passed away peacefully Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at home surrounded by her family.
Sissy was born May 22, 1954, in Midland, Texas. After both parents passed away prematurely, Sissy and her brother, Scott, at a very young age, moved to the family’s cattle ranch in Madill, Oklahoma to live with their brother Harry. The siblings subsequently moved from Oklahoma to the home of an aunt and uncle and later family friends in Porterville, California, where they graduated high school. After attending Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, a close friend influenced Sissy’s move to Laguna Beach in 1977.
Adventurous as she was, in 1976, Sissy spent three months in the Philippines, meeting her brother Scott, serving in the Peace Corp. Several years later, she decided to meet a friend in Antigua, British Virgin Islands, where she met Eric. It was a fast and sure romance, a love worthy of a novel. A short four months after that, Sissy and Eric married in San Luis Obispo on April 1, 1984. The following year they moved to Laguna Beach, where they raised three incredible children, Dustin, Lauren, and Kyle.
Sissy’s wonderful attitude and ability to connect with people made her stellar in the positions she held in the restaurant business. Later, she turned her love of plants into a successful interior landscape business, Potted Creations. This allowed her to work, be home with the kids, attend all school events and activities, and always have a prepared family dinner on the table. Sissy’s business thrived on the loyalty of her long-time clients, all of whom she greatly appreciated.
Sissy was a loving, deep, and compassionate person. She loved people dearly and built many friendships as close as family. She took great pride in maintaining relationships with her many family members in the U.S. and Belgium. Her sense of humor knew no bounds. She always looked at the bright side of things and never saw anything as a problem.
Sissy was sure to share her perspective gained through experiencing loss so early in life. She was present and thankful for right here, right now, and she hoped you were too.
Sissy loved life. Our world was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with cancer nearly six years ago. Faced with the biggest challenge of her life, Sissy remained undeterred. Doing the research and making the calls, she managed every aspect and never wanted anyone to be impacted by the challenge she was faced with. She was fortunate to have seen Dustin and Lauren each marry, followed by the gift of three grandchildren, all boys! She supported Kyle through his dream of formally studying ceramics and cheered on his achievement of a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The Kansas City Art Institute. She loved her family endlessly, and she will live in our hearts forever.
Sissy is survived by her husband Eric, her son Dustin and daughter-in-law Dana, their two children Dalton and Owen, Daughter Lauren and son-in-law Brad Mitchell, their newborn Beau, and her son Kyle.
Services will be held Saturday, January 28, 2023, at 1 p.m. at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Laguna Beach.
Sissy’s ashes will be spread off the coast of her beloved Laguna. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Tinas Wish and/or Ovarian.org to support early intervention and detection of ovarian cancer.
 passed away peacefully Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at home surrounded by her family. ){kind=link}