Fundraiser for Rochon's Final Chapter

As a consummate bookworm and comic book savant, Rochon was one of the original blerds (Black nerds). At least in my mind. I grew up with my aunt surrounded by boxes of comic books, most of which were kept in their plastic covers to keep them in pristine condition and my greasy kid hands off of them!

Yet she always encouraged me to read them. To read period.

I had my own library in the house as a kid, especially with a teacher as a grandma, and often found myself lost in stories, possibilities, and the imagination of others. While it did not lead me into a career in literature, she dared to dream and created her own book publishing company, Cedar Grove Publishing.

About two years ago, she suffered a mild stroke, that resulted in the onset of seizures. While rare in occurrence, they got progressively worse when they did happen over the course of 2023. She was good about taking her anti-seizure medication, attending physical therapy, meditating, and following her diet to manage her condition, especially in preparation to relocate to North Carolina near friends in 2024.

On March 9, 2024, Rochon had an event in the hospital that she was unable to recover from and sadly passed away. She had been in the ICU for weeks after experiencing a major seizure, so severe that she suffered from organ failures among other major ailments. While her outlook was not promising, the family decided to put her on the track for recovery, to give her a chance to fight for the new life she was preparing for, even after just turning 70-years old. We are devastated that she didn't make it, but believe she is at peace.

With the support of a couple of key people, we have discovered such a beautiful network of friends and associates that go far beyond the circle of friends that we were aware of. As her death was unexpected, she had not made any preparations for end-of-life. All we are aware of is her wish to be cremated.

However, we would also like to have a Celebration of Life ceremony for her and the network of people who came to know and love her through her work at San Francisco State University's College of Ethnic Studies, the Literary/Journalism boards, comic conventions, and Cedar Grove Publishing among others. The celebration will most likely take place in San Francisco, targeting June 2024 to give us a little time to plan something we think she would love.

The goal right now is to raise $5,000 toward the cremation and other end-of-life expenses as they arise. The first $1500 of it will go to her direct cremation. She did not have any children or a spouse, so all of this coordination has fallen on me to navigate from afar, while processing her passing.

For those part of communities and groups she was active in, even if you cannot donate, please share this GoFundMe to others who she was in community with to extend its reach. Any and all support provided in her memory will be truly appreciated.

If you are in the San Francisco area and would like to attend her Celebration of Life event, please leave a comment for now. I'm going to try to find a better way of collecting temporary RSVPs (Google doc?) to get a headcount. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I will update this space as new information is available.

Thank you for your time and care for my aunt. Please remember her well.

Sincerely,

Espanola