Gloria 'Gloring' Fernan

REMEMBERING MY MOTHER

Submitted by: Sheri Fernan

I had gnawing thoughts to post this album for quite some time now and by what powers prompted me to do it today, I know not. I realized a few moments ago that soon enough, it shall be Mother's Day. So the saying is correct, "you'll miss me when I'm gone!" That says a lot.

Gloria (Torrella) Fernan known to her friends and relatives as Gloring was born March 10, 1937. In 1953 at age 16, she married my father William Lopez. She graduated from Legaspi College with Summa Cum Laude honors. Dani was born 1954 (she was 17), I was born 1955 (she was 18) and Luchi was born 1956 (she was 19). She went to Spain on a scholarship where she also learned how to read Spanish cards from a gypsy. Teaching was her profession and later became a Principal in Tarlac.

By her second husband Salvador Bello, she was 35 when Isabel was born in 1972. He passed away as a Pilot along with all the passengers when their plane exploded en route to Manila. She is survived by her third husband, Edmund Bagwell whom we call Papi Eddie. He took her away from the Philippines to Venezuela, London, Nigeria and finally they retired in Essex, UK.

Yearly, she visited her own mother in Legaspi City and played mahjong with her cronies. Her study room is walled with books galore, another love of her life. Their dining room served as the gallery of her paintings. She wasn't much of a dresser hence Papi Eddie did her clothes shopping. In her youth, she loved reading, played volleyball in school and went fishing for her quiet moments. Later on, she enjoyed good bouts of chess and scrabble but always, mahjong was her choice of games. She smoked, didn't drink much and eventually became a good cook in UK. Too logical, we called her Mr. Spock. She believed in fair play and treatment, but favoured boys in the family. She had a beautiful handwriting and also kept international friends who cherished deep conversations with her.

Fate had it that in September 2004, she toured the Philippines with Papi Eddie and my sisters Luchi and Isabel (with her husband Gary) and visited other relatives, then visited me in Canada in December . I observed that she didn't eat much. Soon enough after their return to UK, Mami tasted food like it was metal and won't eat, thus losing weight. With Papi Eddie's persistence, they changed doctors every month as each said nothing was wrong with her. By May 2005, the last doctor diagnosed her with minor lung cancer and major (advanced and inoperable) brain cancer. She was told she had two months to live with no pains but she will have dementia. She put her affairs in order immediately. For the next two months, Papi Eddie endured a stressful time caring for her. By her insistence, no one was allowed to fly to UK to visit.

She passed away July 2, 2005 at age 68 and her remains cremated shortly thereafter. It was February 2006 when her ashes were brought to the Philippines by Papi Eddie, Isabel and Gary. She was buried beside my brother, Dani. Yori and I visited her final resting place for the first time this past February 2008. We both cried but I sensed peace. I miss you Mami!