Kristina “Kris” Paliwoda

Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas – Kristina “Kris” Paliwoda, 43, passed away tragically on New Year’s Eve in a motorcycle accident near her home. Her loss has left her family, friends, and loved ones heartbroken.

Kris was born on November 4, 1981, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, to Retired U.S. Air Force MSGT Charles “Chuck” Stephen Paliwoda and Buarian “Toy” Paliwoda. She grew up surrounded by love and support, which shaped her into the kind, compassionate, and adventurous person so many came to know and cherish.

Kris is a proud veteran who followed in the footsteps of her father and grandfather by serving nearly a decade as a communications-computer systems operator craftsman in the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army, reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant. Throughout her military career, she completed assignments at Kadena Air Force Base (Okinawa), Tinker Air Force Base (Moore, Oklahoma), LSA Anaconda (Balad, Iraq), and multiple TDY assignments around the world. Her dedication to service exemplified her caring and courageous spirit.

After her military service and completion of her Bachelor’s Degree at UT Dallas, Kris wanted to make a positive impact and contribute to a greater purpose. Drawing on her love for animals, she dedicated herself to helping others through her work at the Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, where she cared for sick and injured birds. Over the past two years, she developed a close bond with Zara, the center’s bald eagle. Kris often brought live fish she caught from a local stream near her home to feed Zara. Additionally, she created a social media page to share her unique experiences and relationship with Zara.

Kris had an adventurous spirit and a passion for exploring the world around her. She expressed herself through various forms of creativity, including writing, playing her French horn and saxophone, composing, painting, sketching, sculpting, constructing, directing, cooking, and baking. As an avid birdwatcher, fisherman (like her late father), and outdoor enthusiast with less than a year of riding experience, she managed to travel across the country on her motorcycle. Kris rode through 15 states and visited several notable landmarks, including the Tail of the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway, Skyline Drive (Colorado), Old Fall River Road, and the Arkansas Dragon. She also explored nearly every National Park from Colorado to New Mexico and Texas, aiming to visit all the National Parks in the U.S. and add a stamp to her national park passport.

Kris also enjoyed playing online video games and connecting with a large community of fellow enthusiasts. She created content for her streaming channel and wrote several online guides and resources to help beginners. While away from home, she often participated in exciting activities such as skydiving, white-water rafting, summiting Pikes Peak, hiking mountain trails, camping under the stars, kayaking, deep-sea fishing, and fishing the salmon run in Pulaski, NY, with her dear uncle Michael “Spike” Palivoda, just like her father always did.

Throughout her life, including her military career, Kris faced many challenges with dedication, resilience, and a warrior spirit. She set a strong example for those around her and stood up for those she cared about, approaching every relationship and friendship with an "all or nothing" attitude; once you're with her, you're with her. One of her most important lessons is that, regardless of our difficulties, we should never give up on ourselves or those we love. Another important lesson she teaches us is to reflect on how easy it is to become consumed by our jobs and the daily grind. The most challenging yet crucial thing to remember is to set aside our differences and share as many experiences as possible with our loved ones, as our time with them is limited. Tomorrow is never promised, so we should strive to recognize that every day, hour, and minute we have together is a gift. These lessons are evident in the many stories and experiences she shared, as well as in the reflections of others who knew her and recognized the incredible person she was.

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