To honour her legacy and memory after death, a special celebration of life for Lorilyn Mendoza, a member of Cochrane’s Filipino community, will be hosted on May 7.
The celebration of life will take place at the St. Mary’s Catholic Parish, located adjacent to Cochrane Toyota, at 7 p.m.
Elizabeth Giga, Mendoza’s best friend, said she passed away peacefully at 7:10 a.m. on April 22.
“We had a viewing last Sunday, April 28, and lots of people in the Filipino community came from Cochrane and Calgary,” Giga said.
Over the last three months, Mendoza went through two surgeries for cancer, followed by two more surgeries due to recurring infections. In her final week, she was cared for in the Dulcina Hospice in Calgary.
In February, a special fundraiser took place to help support Lorilyn’s husband Chris, and their three- and seven-year-old sons. Dan Kroffat, a community leader who helped spearhead the fundraising initiative, said the $22,350 that was all carefully planned and dedicated for the Mendoza family, to cover their rent over the next year.
As a means to ease the financial burden from the Mendoza family following Lorilyn’s passing, Kroffat said this shines a light of optimism on a tragic event of loss and heartbreak in the community.
“I want to congratulate not only the community at large for supporting this, but 400 people attended our event and fundraising,” Kroffat said. “It was a demonstration of people coming together no matter what religion, and no matter what culture.”
Kroffat said this was a collaborative effort that could not have happened without the support of Cochrane’s Filipino community, alongside the combines efforts of fellow locals who came out in support of the Mendoza family.
“We know we will have other situations like this, so it’s a great example of what we can do when we come together and help each other,” he said.
Both Giga and Kroffat invite everyone in the community to express their condolences and show their support for the Mendoza family on May 7.
“Let's join hands and let’s rejoice together about the great things that can be done when we work together,” Kroffat said.
