It is with a heavy heart that I, Ray Segarra, announce the passing of my mother Ramona Bermudez. She passed away Sunday morning, peacefully in her room at a hospital in Sioux Falls, SD. She had a long battle with pneumonia, which was further complicated by a cancer diagnosis that would not allow her immune system to recuperate quickly enough to stave off the infection in her lungs, which ultimately took a tremendous toll on her.

As her only child, I am especially saddened that I, nor any other family members, were able to be there by her side during her final hours. I speak on behalf of myself and the rest of my immediate family that we very much regret not being able to convince my mom to come back home to the New York/New Jersey region to continue receiving her treatments closer to us, while there was still an opportunity for her to have the strength to make the long trip here.

It is now my challenge to bring her back to New Jersey from South Dakota for a proper memorial service/burial, however, to our surprise, the cost of doing this has turned out to be much more expensive than I and our immediate family anticipated. That being said, I’m turning to my distant relatives, friends, social media friends, acquaintances, and strangers for assistance with this difficult situation. I have set up this GoFundMe campaign for the purpose of affording to pay the expenses of bringing my mother's remains and personal possessions back home for a proper memorial service. We appreciate anything anyone can contribute, no matter how small, for us to be able to place my mother in her final resting disposition.

I thank you all in advance for your compassion and generosity during this very difficult time. I will post details about a memorial service once we’ve gotten over the hurdle of bringing her back home to us.