Corazon Cayabyab Dondonan, 74-years-old, died on Tuesday, May 19, 2015, at her home in Inverness, Florida. After her long battle with ESRD (end stage renal disease) and 7 years of dialysis,she passed away peacefully surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Her strong will to live, unwavering faith in God, and the love and prayers of family, friends, and many supporters carried her through to the end.
She was survived by her children Liza (Jason) Steel, Eric (Jecille Lyn) Dondonan, Lynn (Scott) Dziedzic and David (Suzanne) Dondonan; 9 grandchildren: Jason II, Christian, Lucas, Griffin, Ethan, Carleigh, Kaitlyn, Gabrielle and Benjamin.
Cora was born as the only child on December 4, 1940 in Cavite, Metro Manila, the Philippines to Benigno and Natividad (Cosipag) Cayabyab. She was married to Rizalino Gascon Dondonan on March 21, 1961.
She had 4 great passions in her life, outside of her family. God, travel, dancing and gambling. She was devout in her faith and was instrumental in establishing the Charismatic community here in her adopted home of Florida. God also granted Cora and Riz the ability to travel and they were able to see and experience the world prior to her husband’s death. They were able to visit every major cathedral in all of the countries that they visited but amongst all of the destinations that they’ve travelled to, the food and locale of Spain agreed with them the most. She loved to laugh, have and attend parties where she could dance. Her favorite expression was “feet were made for dancing” and she loved to do the Cha Cha and any type of line dancing. Cora was a consummate professional in the art of machine gambling. She loved the challenge of the one armed bandit!
After graduating from Centro Escolar in 1960 with her degree in Dietetics, she and Rizalino made their way to the United States where Cora completed her internship in Detroit at Harper Hospital. In the meantime, Rizalino completed his Aeronautical Engineering education at Northrop University in Los Angeles and then came to Michigan to be with his bride and an engineering position within the automotive industry. They settled in Detroit in 1963 where Liza, Eric and Lynn were born. They subsequently moved to the suburbs in 1969 to Sterling Heights where David was born. Cora’s career had spanned 40 years as a Clinical Dietitian and later as a Hospital Administrator. After Rizalino’s illness, she retired in 2001. They moved to Inverness in 2002 joined by Liza, Jason and the kids .
Married for 43 years, Cora and Riz raised their 4 dear children, Liza, Eric, Lynn and David over the years in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Possessing a true servant’s heart, Cora faithfully cared for family and friends through her delicious Filipino cooking. A woman of faith and the heart of the Dondonan family, Cora shaped their spirituality by her tireless Christian example, and also through various Catholic Charismatic prayer groups and activities.
Visitation information for friends and family of Corazon Dondonan: There will be a Memorial Service at Fero Funeral Home, 5955 N. Lecanto Highway, Beverly Hills, FL 34465, on Friday, May 22, 2015 at 4:00 pm with Fellowship to immediately follow. There are also plans for a memorial service in July for her Michigan friends and family, details to follow.
For more information, please call: Fero Funeral Home of Beverly Hills, Florida at (352) 746-4551.
Memorial donations can be made to:
● Hospice of Citrus and the Nature Coast found at www.hospiceofcitrus.org
● Yet, beyond financial donations,Cora always lived by the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you would like to be treated. i.e. Do a loving act of kindness, make someone laugh, give a hug, or say “I love you” to your special friend in her memory.
The family is deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support in many heart-felt forms from too many people to name individually, but including: Hospice of Citrus, family and friends – either through prayer and/or visits, neighbors, and even random acts of kindness through total “strangers”.
Arrangements entrusted to
Fero Funeral Home
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