Hi, my name is Tiffany and this GoFundMe is to aid in covering the final expenses for my late mother, Lori Leonard. I am still in a very emotional state and find this incredibly hard to write, so please forgive me if this is a bit of a ramble or overshare. I will do my best to explain our situation.

Lori was diagnosed with Liver Cirrhosis (NAFLD) two years before the disease eventually advanced aggressively to the point that her kidneys began to fail. After a long and arduous struggle within the US Healthcare system (miscommunications, lost charts, apathetic caregivers, lack of urgency to involve specialists etc.), she was given a 6-8 month life expectancy and was discharged to hospice care. There, she faced more systematic complications but was starting to settle into what she viewed as her "new apartment". She was hopeful to bring in her furniture, have her pet cat Roxanne visit her, watch deer out her window that faced the woods and relax watching her favorite movies like The Wizard of Oz as she prepared to come to peace with her diagnosis.

I did manage to bring her cat to visit and had a positive conversation with her that provided some much needed closure and understanding between us... But unfortunately, the pain from the organ failure was so severe that she was sedated just a day after arriving at the facility and passed away only 5 days later at the age of 58. While I knew that her condition could turn on a dime at any point, I foolishly hoped I would have more time with her. What should have been a couple months in my mind, transpired in just a matter of days, resulting in many issues left to be solved with little solutions.

One of the issues we are currently facing is that, despite assumed prior preparations, there was in fact no life insurance policy to cover her final expenses. To make a long story short, a policy that was bought 30 years ago which was intended to cover both life insurance for my mother and father, was purchased by a new company that changed the policy type to pay only if an "accidental death" occurred. Which it had not. This was a family oversight and misunderstanding that we are now all reeling from. Thus, the creation of this GoFundMe.

Donations will aid in paying for the funeral home general fees, cremation, transportation, internment, urn, headstone and final expenses. They will also aid in the resolvement of Lori's apartment which needs to be emptied by family using a Uhaul and cleaned out. Funds will also help us with providing her cat Roxanne with the proper care and setup she deserves (Poor thing was all matted and starving as it was found out my mother had been unable to care for her properly near the end. She has already been to the vet and has a grooming appointment this week).

Thank you all for your time reading this post, and for the support and love you share no matter in what way, shape or form it may be.

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Lori's Obituary:

Lori Anne (Cerniglia) Leonard, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, passed away on July 27, 2025, at Ayer Valley Rehab in Ayer, Massachusetts. Born in Bristol Connecticut, on August 18, 1966. She was the daughter of the late David L. and Bonnie Louise (Richardson) Cerniglia. Lori was raised and educated in Terryville Connecticut, graduating from Terryville High school in 1984.

Lori graduated Newbury College in Boston with an Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts. She met her husband Jay and they then married and settled in Littleton, MA where they raised their daughter Tiffany and Lori worked as a cake decorator for many years.

Lori strived to live her life to the fullest, be it by enjoying family trips to Disney World, going to KISS and Aerosmith concerts, or by playing Blocker in professional Roller Derby. She also enjoyed indulging in her hobbies like collecting Barbie dolls and Disney Memorabilia, cooking her favorite meals and spending quiet evenings crocheting (with her cat Roxanne on her lap) while watching QVC.

Lori found joy in her faith and her friends. She took a special interest in the lives of those that cared for her. She enthusiastically embraced her loved ones and had a knack for carrying on a conversation.

Christmas was Lori's favorite holiday (She kept a Christmas Tree up year round) and she lived every day with the hope and excitement of a child on Christmas Eve, eager to see what the morning would bring.

Lori is survived by her husband Jay S. Leonard of Littleton, MA, and her daughter Tiffany Leobell and Son-In-Law Joe Leobell of Rutland, MA. She is predeceased by her sister Traci Cerniglia.

Private Family Services in Terryville, CT - date TBD.