<div itemprop="description">Philomena Mendonza (née Nazarene) sadly left our world, at the age of 92, on August 20, 2024, after a long and rich life filled with kindness and love. She was born on October 10, 1931, in Badarpur, Assam, India. She is preceded in death by Francis Mendonza, her cherished husband of 39 years whom she lost 30 years ago, her brother, Richard Nazarene, and her best friend and sister-in-law, Rita Nazarene. <br> <br>A constant pillar of strength and love, Philo, also known as Mrs. M to many, leaves a void in the hearts of her family and friends, both here in Canada and in her homeland of India. She leaves behind her five loving children, Gail (Dana), Aileen (Kelly), Sharon (Nick), Errol (Shelley), and Francis (Hayley). In addition, she was blessed to leave a legacy of ten grandchildren, Meaghan (Jack), Jason (Astrid), Jesse (Holly), Christopher (Julie), Lisa (Ian), Caroline (Gyula), Nicole (Trevor), Justin, Aidan and Rachel; and ten great-grandchildren (Emma, Thomas, Alfie, Charles, Sophie, Amelia, Alice, Ziggy, Theo, and Ellis), to whom she was lovingly known as Grandma, Gamma, and Gigi. She is also survived by her two sisters, Carmelita (Perry) and Lily, who still reside in India, as well as many nieces and nephews. <br> <br>In April 1969, Philo and Francis made the courageous decision to move to Canada from India in search of a better life for themselves and their five children who, at the time, were aged between four and thirteen years old. Not long after her arrival and settling into the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood of Montreal, Philo started working in the Engineering Department of CP Rail and worked there for 25 years until her retirement in 1993. Philo enjoyed working on crossword puzzles, word games and sudokus, playing on her iPad, keeping in touch with family and friends on her phone and on social media, and spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. <br> <br>A lifelong devout Catholic, Philo will be remembered by all those who knew her, for her intelligence, humour, open-mindedness, and class. She will always be loved, and never forgotten. <br> <br>Visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 27, at Rideau Funeral Home & Cemetery, 4275 Sources Blvd., Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec, H9B 2A6, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. There will be a remembrance service at St. Thomas à Becket Parish, 4320 Sainte-Anne St., Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Quebec, H9H 4Y7, on Wednesday, August 28, at 11:00 a.m. <br> <br>We wish to express our sincere gratitude to the doctors, nurses and orderlies for their kindness, support and care shown to our mother during her stay at the Lakeshore General Hospital. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation in memory of Philomena Mendonza (https://fondationlakeshore.ca/donate/). <br> <br></div>
