Funeral Support for Sergio, Father & Husband

With a heart full of grief, we are reaching out to ask for your help. Sergio, our sister Beverly’s father, passed away on December 2nd due to Valley Fever. Our family is devastated.

Sergio was a farmworker. Valley Fever is a disease caused by a fungus found in soil and dirt in some areas of California. Farmworkers and other outdoor workers in the Central Valley are particularly at risk for contracting it. He put up a fight for the last few months, through various treatments, surgeries, upswings in progress and depleting complications.

Instead of sharing details on the difficult downward progression, we are trying to focus on what gives us solace. Sergio was able to share what he needed to share while he still was able to speak. He was not alone, and his community of loved ones were able to say goodbye. He was given Last Rites by a priest. We followed his wishes, and he was made comfortable at the end. And the women he loved most in his life - his daughter Beverly, our mother Claudia, and his sister Luz - were with him when he passed.

In the midst of our sorrow, we want to remember Sergio for how he was in life. He was a survivor throughout his life. He was an artist, who frequently made drawings for us all with affectionate messages. He liked to express himself via his tattoos, a characteristic that Beverly inherited. He enjoyed listening to oldies and watching John Wick movies. He was a letter writer, who had not given up on this art and was unafraid to share his feelings this way. He playfully called his sister his “carnala.” He was unabashedly constant in his love and devotion to our Mom. And he was a loving father - he worked to try and help support Beverly with college. She was his pride and joy, as is evident in how he looked at her.

We are facing the burden of covering the funeral expenses to give Sergio the dignified farewell he deserves. Funds raised will be used primarily to cover the immediate costs of the funeral home, wake, mass, and cremation. Funds raised beyond those costs will be used to cover some expenses already incurred as our family supported his treatment, costs of grief counseling for Beverly, Mom, and Luz, and support for their necessary additional unpaid bereavement leave from work. We will commit to sharing updates as the GoFundMe progresses and as we approach the funeral next week.

We are immensely grateful for any amount you can give. Your generous contribution will make a real difference in alleviating the financial strain on our family and allow us to mourn without additional weight and worry.

We understand not everyone has capacity to contribute financially. Our mother kindly requests prayers for Sergio and for our family. It would also help if you are able to share this campaign with your friends, family, communities, and social networks.

Thank you for holding space for our loss and grief, and for offering healing thoughts and strength during this difficult time.

With much love and gratitude,

Isamar & Albany and the Alvarado/López Rubio Family