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Honoring Cece's Legacy

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Our loving, resilient and courageous mother passed away unexpectedly in November. We are heartbroken, in shock and mourning, as we miss her tremendously.

Cece was a vibrant and resilient woman who loved fiercely, especially God, her three children and two surviving brothers. She was a pillar of strength with deep compassion for all people experiencing pain and misfortune. Although she lived modestly, she was always generous - contributing to the Cambodian community, scholarship funds, and charities close to her heart. It weighed heavily on her soul to see suffering in this world and to be unable to give more.

We hope to honor her life as stewards of a memorial fund to donate to scholarships and community-based programs in Cambodia. We will provide updates as we disperse funds so that you may learn more about the impact of your donation.

Please consider a donation in lieu of flowers for her service, which will be held December 5, 2022.

Thank you for your generosity and support in honoring Cece.

About Cece:

Cece was an inspiring and exemplary woman of faith, strength and fortitude. Her unending perseverance was unparalleled. She escaped to America after having lost her family overnight from the brutality of the Khmer Rouge. Unable to return to Cambodia, she was determined to bring her two infants to safety, risking her own life to flee from Laos through Thailand to America. She refused to let tragedy define her life. Rather, she shared her experiences as a testimony to her faith.

Cece’s affability allowed her to instantly make friends when she arrived to the US, finding a community in church, learning English and American food recipes while working tirelessly to provide for her family. She persevered to make ends meet to ensure that her children would not have to endure hardships and imparted the lesson of self-sufficiency as she herself exemplified self-reliance and grit.

She battled lupus for decades with a seemingly infinite well of strength as she filled her notebooks and scraps of paper with handwritten Bible verses. She wrote of God's reminders which resonated deeply with her and continually strengthened her faith.

Cece enjoyed sightseeing, watching soap operas and action movies, devouring current news as well as whistling to traditional Christian hymns. Cece charmed all who met her, from strangers to Khmer children who she would lead in chorus. We miss her wide smiles, silly dances and "coan nham bai nov?" with immense grief. But we find comfort in knowing that she is with God, reunited with her parents and siblings, laughing and whistling in Heaven.
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Donations 

  • Michael Cortez
    • $200
    • 2 yrs
  • Jesse Try
    • $500
    • 2 yrs
  • FBC Rialto
    • $35
    • 2 yrs
  • Kimberly Le
    • $500
    • 2 yrs
  • Samuel Tan
    • $700
    • 2 yrs
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Organizer

Christine Tan
Organizer
Rialto, CA

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