Mildred Valdez Gain

Mildred Gain of Quezon City, Philippines and Worthington, Ohio peacefully passed away on December 6, 2021 at the age of 71. Her legacy and story will continue to live on through her husband of over 50 years, Fred Gain, her 3 children: John (Leilani) Gain of Allen, Texas, James (Elizabeth) Gain of Edina, Minnesota and Margaret (David) McKenzie of Worthington, Ohio, and her 5 grandchildren: Weston, Maya, Keller, Blythe and Kai. Her love and faith will also live on through her siblings Efren Valdez of Quezon City, Philippines, Lorna (Steve) Straw of Westerville, Ohio, Marlyn (Norrie) Romero of Kellyville, Australia, Joseph (Liza) Valdez of Hanover Park, Illinois, Lincoln Valdez of Huntington Beach, California and Terry (Emy) Valdez of Bartlett, Illinois and her many nieces and nephews from all over the world.

Her story began on Thursday, December 29, 1949, in Ayudante, Candon, Ilocos Sur, Philippines with the love of her parents, Natividad Gabuat Valdez and Zacarias Valdez, who welcomed her to heaven with a warm embrace. As the second eldest of 7 children, she enjoyed her childhood by spending time with her siblings, relatives and classmates in the peaceful countryside of Candon, Ilocos Sur as well as in the vibrant city of Quezon City by laughing, singing and dancing. Mildred received her entire formal education from elementary school to college at one school - Stella Maris College in Quezon City, Philippines - where she received a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Accounting at the age of 19. Her first job after college was as a computer programmer at Business Machines Corporation, which is also the same place she first met her husband, Fred, at a Hawaiian themed office party.

In 1972, Mildred and Fred left their families, friends and careers in the Philippines to pursue a better life for their eventual family in the United States, which humbly started in Chicago, Illinois. For the next 15 years, she would raise her children while having a successful accounting career at Grant Thornton living in various areas in the Chicagoland area such as Little Italy, Lakeview and Wilmette. Her and her family’s journey then took them to Spring, Texas for a few years before they called Worthington, Ohio home in 1989.

While still maintaining her focus on loving her family near and far, Mildred extended her passion and commitment on making a difference to so many communities and people in the Columbus area. Her Catholic faith was deeply rooted in her since birth and remained a bedrock of who she would become as a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, relative, friend, leader, coach and mentor. She was a devoted and active parishioner of St. Peter Roman Catholic Church for over 30 years involved in so many things such as a Eucharistic minister, volunteering for Meals on Wheels, leading several fundraising activities and serving as the president of the church’s finance committee. She also continued her successful career in finance by working at Sanese Services and serving as CFO for non-profit organizations such as Catholic Social Services and LifeCare Alliance. Before retiring as CFO of LifeCare Alliance in 2020, she was recognized for her hard work and accomplishments by being nominated as CFO of the Year in Columbus.

In addition to raising a beautiful family and having a successful career, Mildred loved to do so many things not just for herself but for so many people. Music and dancing always put a smile on her face, especially when the Bee Gees, Beatles and ABBA were playing. She also loved watching her Hallmark movies anytime of the day or year, but especially during her favorite time of year, Christmas. And she so loved to cook and sharing that passion with everyone and anyone, especially her children and grandchildren. All of Mildred’s dishes, savory or sweet, were coveted and cherished by so many family and friends such that her household was a constant meeting place for family and friend gatherings, holiday parties, bible study groups, etc. because all that attended would have their palates come alive and stomachs filled with joy and happiness. Each person had their favorite dish or dishes that she made, so please remember how that put a smile on your face as you will be celebrating her hard work and love for cooking by doing so each and every day.

Although this chapter of her story is ending, her story will continue to be written and shared through her family, her friends and all those that experienced her unconditional love, kindness and generosity. So please pay it forward and make a difference like she always did for so many. She will always be with us as her love for us is endless and will last forever.

To honor and celebrate Mildred, we welcome you to join us in celebrating her life and her birthday in the following ways:

● On Tuesday, December 28, a gathering will be held where you can

visit and pray with Mildred and her family from 4:00 to 8:00 pm ET

at Schoedinger Funeral Home in Worthington, 6699 N High St,

Worthington, OH 43085.

● On her birthday, December 29, a mass in her honor will be held at

10:00 am ET at St. Peter Roman Catholic Church, 6899 Smoky Row Rd,

Columbus, OH 43235. Per Mildred’s wishes, we request that everyone

wear white clothing for the mass. Immediately after the mass, we

will all proceed to accompany Mildred to her final resting place

at Resurrection Cemetery, 9571 High St, Lewis Center, OH 43035.

● Livestream link for the visitation starting at 4 pm ET on Tuesday, December 28 -

https://fb.me/e/XDlHc0jo

Livestream link for the funeral mass starting at 10 am ET on Wednesday, December 29 -

https://www.facebook.com/stpetercolumbus/

● In addition to flowers and plants as she loved them both (and

propagating!), Mildred would appreciate any donations to St. Peter

Roman Catholic Church at https://stpetercolumbus.com/ways-give.

● For those that may be traveling from afar to be here in person, we

recommend you stay in the Polaris area in Columbus. For more

information on lodging options and other things to do in Polaris,

please go to https://www.polariscenters.com

● If you want to share a video or audio message about your fond

memories and stories about Mildred, please email

[email protected] for more details on how to do so as their

children will be putting them together for all to enjoy and

cherish.