November 17, 2011 – June 7, 2025

Giada Francesca Lancellotti passed away unexpectedly at the age of 13, after injuries sustained from being hit by a car in a crosswalk while biking to meet friends at a fishing derby on June 7, 2025.

Born to Charles and Kelly on November 17, 2011 in South Lake Tahoe, Giada was instantly loved and adored by her parents and two big sisters Giulia and Gabriella.

Our family was not expecting the loss of Giada or for her life to be cut so short so soon. We are devastated by this loss and will feel the absence of Giada forever. She was the most caring, funny and compassionate soul and a joy to be around. She will be forever missed.

Even though Giada was taken from us much too soon, she was able to teach us so much in such a short amount of time, namely to enjoy life to the fullest everyday. Giada loved the outdoors, whether it was swimming all the days of summer break, often in more than one lake or river in a day, or hiking with our dogs, skiing at Sierra, riding horses and bikes, wake surfing, long boarding, camping, or running. Giada craved adventure and loved sports. She enjoyed softball, volleyball and track in middle school, and had been competing in gymnastics since she could walk.

Though her time with us was heartbreakingly short, Giada experienced so much having been the third child. Giada sang and danced her way through many concerts, most notably her favorite artist Taylor Swift. Her bikes were symbols of her maturity and independence, allowing her to ride to meet friends for ice cream, to the beach, Starbucks, or simply to doorbell ditch her friends. She’s traveled to Greece, celebrated birthdays in Disneyland and Hawaii, visited Bryce, Zion, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, and Yosemite National Parks. She loved beaches, running barefoot in the sand, cartwheeling, and swimming at Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Diego, and more. While she had seen and done so much, she still had many more plans for her future. She wanted to learn to golf, play volleyball every Sunday at Ski Beach, go to college with her sisters, and become a dentist. She planned to swim every day this summer, and had already started her swims well before school let out. Her family and friends swam together at her vigil on the day she died, and have been swimming every day since to the motto of Live Like Giada (LLG).

Giada is survived by a loving group of friends, family, Girl Scouts, teachers, and classmates, including adoring parents, Charles and Kelly; siblings Giulia and Gabriella; grandmother Diane Kucich; uncle and aunt Roger Kucich III and Marjorie, and cousins Roger IV, Alex, Kyle and Riley; aunt and uncle Paola Lancellotti and Willy Rice, and cousins Gemma and Marco; aunt and uncle Margot Lancellotti and Kevin Morrison, and cousins Cora, Elsa and Luca. She is preceded in death by grandpa Roger Kucich Jr., Nono and Nana Roberto and Margaret Lancellotti, and great grandmother Beryl Simon, as well as beloved pets Rubi, Bella, and Rocky.

A Celebration of Life is planned for Monday, August 4, 2025 at Valhalla Tahoe from 4:00 to 9:00. Bring swimsuits for a sunset swim.

Bus transportation will be available by parking at South Tahoe Middle School and South Tahoe High School. Routes will run at 3:00 and 3:30 and 8:30 and 9:00. All students must be accompanied by an adult on the bus. Limited parking is available at Valhalla and carpooling or biking is encouraged.

Expressions of sympathy, love, compassion, and support may take the form of contributions to the “Live Like Giada Memorial Scholarship” at http://bit.ly/LLGMemorial. This will be an annual scholarship that will be awarded to local seniors each year who are pursuing their educational dreams after high school and live life to the fullest, just as Giada did. Flowers, notes, and mementos may also be placed at the bridge at Tahoe Paradise Park, where Giada’s Girl Scout troop held many ceremonies and Giada rode her bikes, connecting her neighborhood to her many adventures.