Evelyn Arroyo Toledo

She was brave. Selfless. Fragile but strong. She was resourceful. Independent. She had some weaknesses but she hid it well. Many times she was uncertain, but she didn’t crumble — she didn’t plan to. She always found a way.

Life threw her so many curveballs. She was a single mom, raising a teenager she was still learning to know, while trying to rebuild a life of her own. She was starting all over again, facing an unfamiliar chapter with so much still left to figure out.

She showed worries but her eyes showed determination. It was her faith. On her watch, nothing was ever impossible. It wasn’t because she was never unsure, she always knew in her heart, God will provide. And I think that’s where I got my resilience from. From my mom. She showed me that no matter what life throws at you, you have to keep showing up for yourself. Even when you know you have people supporting you, at the end of the day, the most reliable backbone you can have is yourself.

I’ve witnessed her cries to God. I’ve heard the conviction in her prayers, the way she claimed the things she believed in, even when life wasn’t easy. She really believed. And I think that kind of faith, the kind that holds on even when life gives you every reason to let go, is something she passed on to me. And at the end. That was enough. More than enough. I didn’t experience the privileged childhood. She gave me something better. Have faith. Trust in God. Everything will always workout according to His plans. Always In His time.

Thank you, Mom. So much of who I am today is because of you. And a part of you will always live on in the way I raise my children. And now, the lessons you taught me will live on through your grandchildren. I hope that through the way I raise them, they’ll learn the same strength, faith, and perseverance that you instilled in me.

We love you.

An Urn Committal will be held in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 3789 Royal Oak Ave, Burnaby, British Columbia on October 30, 2026, at 11:00 am.