Celebrating Zaria's Life: Support for Memorial Service

Hello,

My name is Enrique Robles and I have been Zaria Cyriaque's boyfriend since January 4th, 2022. We moved in together in December 2022, sharing a home and taking care of two dogs together. On the morning of Saturday, May 4th, 2024, our dogs and I woke up to the fact that Zaria's spirit had departed from this physical world.

Zaria was born in New York City, on November 10th, 1995 and raised in Somerville, New Jersey. Throughout her middle and high school years Zaria described herself as an old soul and many of her guidance counselors agreed and added on that she was an individual who was mature, self-aware, and hard-working. She had many amazing friends back home in Somerville; I was fortunate enough to meet them when Zaria and I traveled to the east coast during the summer of 2023. Melissa and Daniel, I know you feel some of the same pain I am feeling. Zaria loved the both of you dearly.

After high school Zaria attended and graduated from East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania. Zaria made a number of meaningful connections during her time at ESU. Sean and Lizzy meant the world to her and I am grateful that she had such great friends throughout college and her adult life; I know she loved the both of you as well. She graduated during December 2018 and received a bachelor's of science in Business Management with a concentration in Hospitality and Restaurant Tourism Management.

Zaria moved to California during January 2019. It is during this time that Zaria felt that she needed to enter a no/low contact relationship with her immediate family. It pained me at first, to think that my partner did not have the relationship with her family similar to the one I have with my own. But after we grew more comfortable with each other and she confided in me the reasons why, I understood her and supported her in her decision. She was an amazing judge of character and chose her friends/family well. One of Zaria's earliest friends from her time in California is Ronnie. When Zaria adopted her first dog (Miss Mamas), she would meet with Ronnie at local dog parks to let their dogs play, enjoy each others company, and talk of the many trials and joys both would experience from week to week. Ronnie, I know that Zaria loved and cared for you so much. I am so grateful that she had a friend like you when she started off her time here in California. Thank you for looking after Miss Mamas when Zaria couldn't, I know it meant the world to her.

I have only known Zaria since October 2021 and as I reflect on her life I think of how short that time is, of how short life can be. A few days before she passed, she sent me a link to Action Bronson's food festival in Los Angeles on May 9th. She loved Action Bronson, she loved good food, and she was planning on attending that event after she got better. We were planning on traveling to the Caribbean and to Asia during 2024 and into 2025. She was aiming to get promoted working for Enterprise and we were preparing for her to get a fancy new position that would move us out of state for a few years. She was a successful young woman and extremely driven. We both wanted kids and I remember one time she looked me square in the face and said "$250,000. That's how much we need to make combined before we have our first kid." Her logic was that she would only want the best for her future children and did not want to have to worry about a price tag on anything, be it diapers, day care, kids in sports, or a family vacation.

None of those future plans will come to fruition and instead I am dealing with some of the hardest things I have had to do in my life. When I started this month I did not imagine I would be planning a memorial service for my partner. I did not imagine I would be moving out of the house we have both lived in for more than a year by the end of this month. I did not imagine I would end up having to take care of our two dogs on my own.

I don't know if Zaria will have a proper funeral. Despite her estranged relationship with her immediate family, they are still her next of kin and they have filed for county disposition and her final resting place will be with her mother in New York City. It pains me but my support system is helping me to maintain my strength during this difficult time. Regardless of the issues I am facing, I am still planning a memorial service for Zaria on Saturday, May 18th, 2024. This gofundme is primarily to cover the costs incurred by me and my family to put on the service. Thank you to my mother, my sisters, my aunt, my friends that have been coming together to help make all of this possible to remember and celebrate Zaria's life.

Some of the money raised will also go towards unexpected moving costs and veterinary costs. It has been hard for me to ask for support and I am appreciative of every single person who has already sent food and flowers to our family and to Zaria's memorial service. Thank you everyone for all that you are willing to do to support me during this time. I am eternally grateful for all of the people surrounding me and helping me throughout this process.

Note: The memorial service is today, May 18th, but GoFundMe does not accept donations for a present or past date so I have set the date of the service on GoFundMe to May24th to be able to accept donations.