Our Beloved Tere Morales Cordova

My name is Alyssa Vafaei, and I am a Disability Resource Counselor at Palomar College in San Marcos, CA. I’ve put together this fundraiser, with the help of the Morales Cordova family, to help create a beautiful and dignified memorial and funeral service for the beloved wife, mother, aunt and daughter – Tere Morales Cordova. I got to know Tere through her daughter, my dear friend, Cynthia Cordova. I met Cynthia through work as the Testing Center Coordinator at the Disability Resource Center at Palomar College. We were bonded early on through supporting and confiding in one another during difficult times.

I mostly knew Tere through her daughter, as there was a bit of a language barrier between us, and for most of our time in each other’s lives, she was in an ongoing battle with cancer and treatments (not to mention a deadly pandemic that put her at risk daily for years). But I know she raised my incredible friend, Cynthia, a full-time working mom of two children who protected her mom throughout a pandemic and served as her full-time caregiver and medical translator while pursuing and completing her master’s degree from UC Riverside.

The family has shared with me that Tere was born October 13, 1960, originally from Bacerac, Sonora, Mexico. She was married in Oceanside, CA, on January 23, 1979, and raised her three children in Vista, CA. She spent the end of her life living with her family in Temecula, CA and passed away on Friday, July 15, 2022, at Loma Linda Murrieta Hospital. She is survived by her husband, Ramiro; her three children, Jose Ramiro, Cynthia, and Patty; six grandchildren, Rebeca, Ivette, Ethan, Karina, Dylan, and Joseph; in-laws, Berenice Cordova and Aaron Reasinger; and numerous extended family and close friends.

This fundraiser aims to help the Morales Cordova family gather the funds needed for the Viewing/Memorial Service, Funeral Services, and cemetery plot. It is shockingly expensive to lay a beloved family member to rest with dignity, and no one should have to go into debt for it. So please join me in contributing whatever amount you can to help my dear friend and her family through this time – a time that should be dedicated to grieving and finding solace in one another.

A message from the family about their beloved Tere Morales Cordova:

“Everyone knew our mom for being caring, loving and generous, not just with her family but with her friends and even her children's friends. She was known for being a strong woman of faith, devoted to her Catholic beliefs. She also believed in working hard for what you want, especially in the things that cannot be taken away from you – like your education. She was a joyful woman who loved to laugh at silly jokes, funny movies, and her mischievous grandchildren. She loved fashion and jewelry, getting dressed up for any occasion, going shopping and finding good eats, getting immersed in her novellas, and most of all, spending time with her grandchildren.

What we loved most about her was her dedication to her family, immediate and extended, and to her friends, who were like family. Her intuition was always on point, and we knew we could always confide in her and seek guidance. She taught us to be fierce advocates for ourselves and others when we see injustice. She led by example by being kind and humble while also being a fighter to the very end so she could be there for her family. Although she has passed and is no longer with us physically, her spirit lives on with us. We will continue to honor her legacy by carrying on her teachings and values. Que descanse en Paz.”