Former Glendora Patch Editor Passes Away From Cancer

GILBERT, AZ – Hazel Lodevico-To’o, 36, a former editor and reporter for Patch news service, died recently after a battle with cancer.

Lodevico-To’o, who relocated to Arizona in 2014, leaves behind husband, Isaac, and daughter, Isabella, soon to be 3 years old.

Lodevico-To’o was the founding editor in 2010 of the Glendora Patch, and for four years covered the town and its nearby cities -- always with her signature, community-oriented devotion.

"Hazel and I worked closely on the Inland Empire Patch team for more than three years," said Patch editor and former co-worker Maggie Avants. "She cared deeply about the communities she covered, and sought to be honest, professional and entertaining in her coverage. I knew she was battling cancer, but she was positive and hopeful that she would beat it."

A 2003 journalism graduate from Humboldt State University, Lodevico-To’o also in 2009 earned a Master's degree in communications from Cal State Fullerton. Most recently in Chandler, Az., she worked as a communications specialist with Arizona Priority Care.

Her diagnosis in December 2015 with Stage 4 lung cancer shocked family and friends -- and mostly Hazel, who at the time was training for a marathon and had what she thought was a bad cough and a bout of pneumonia.

"Then you hear the C-word, and your mind flashes instantly to what matters most to you in the world - my precious family, my husband - the love of my life and my greatest supporter, and my dear Isabella - the little girl who taught me there’s no limits to just how much you can love someone," Lodevico-To’o wrote on her fundraising page. "Then there’s the fear. Who would take care of them when I’m gone?"

Her sister had launched a GoFundMe page to help Lodevico-To’o's family with expenses for her cancer treatment. Hazel detailed on the site that she was a non-smoker and learned her diagnosis was an extremely rare form of lung cancer that seems to target non-smoking Asian women. "The worst part of cancer is that it will target anyone," she added.

"Being a writer by trade, I know I can write a very long story!" she wrote soon after her diagnosis. "I don’t want my life to be a cautionary tale, a weepy story that makes you feel bad for taking life for granted. I want this story to be uplifting and inspirational. That despite a grim diagnosis, where there is life, there is hope."

And now, what seems like a profound message for her friends, family and readers left without her:

"Most importantly, I’ve learned how precious time is. If something isn’t working out or isn’t good for you – and I think, deep down, we all know what isn’t truly good for us – we shouldn’t be afraid to let go. And for all the things that are good in our lives and what we truly value, we should always put those first. Always."

To read more from Hazel, in her own words, as she fought her battle with cancer, on being "Mommy," on celebrating birthdays and participating in "Relay for Life," follow the link to her blog, Hazel Fights 4 Life.

--Images courtesy of Hazel's Cancer Treatment Fund on GoFundMe, and from Maggie Avants, at a Riverside restaurant, Hazel in purple top, with Patch co-workers.