Rohnert Park Remembers Leo Cedeno

Nearly 100 friends and family members gathered at Cross and Crown Lutheran Church last night to share memories and swap stories of the late Leo Cedeno, a Rohnert Park father of two and an active community volunteer, who died on Dec. 22. He was 54.

The mood was somber as Cedeno’s family showed a video montage of old photographs over the song from Phantom of the Opera, a musical the family loved, said Beverly Hammond, Cedeno’s ex-wife.

“Leo was an extremely talented musician, and he had an operatic voice,” Hammond said.

The video was a tribute for the children, she said.

Friends from all aspects of Cedeno’s life shared laughs and tears throughout the evening — customers from the 24-Hour Mail Service store he owned from 1994 until 2005 were there, other parents from John Reed Elementary in Rohnert Park and church friends from Cross and Crown, to name a few.

“We’re here tonight to remember Leo,” said Pastor Newt Kerney of Cross and Crown. “Write down you memories of Leo for the kids, so they can grow and remember their father forever.”

“This is your chance to all be godparents,” Kerney said. “Let’s help support and care for these kids now that Leo is gone.”

Morris Turner was a customer of Cedeno’s at 24-Hour Mail for years. He owns Problem Solvers Home Repair in Santa Rosa.

“What I wrote down is that Leo was always positive, and he always had enough energy for everyone,” Morris said. “He’d be speaking in Spanish helping one person, and giving advice to another person, while two other people walked in the door.”

Bonnie Fells worked with Cedeno at Fedex.

“I’m in shock; and I’m devastated,” she said. “We were supposed to have lunch together after the holidays.”

Pam Conti, who owns Cut Loose Hair Salon in Rohnert Park, was his hair dresser for 20 years, she said.

“He was always hugging people,” she said. “We never saw him down.”

Barb Alpers, 70, and Suzi Wylie, 50, sat together at a table chatting about Cedeno.

“We knew him through the church,” they said.

“He just loved those kids so much, he was always there for them,” Wylie said.

Cedeno  died suddenly in his home on Dec. 22, 2010. Although the death certificate has not yet been released, friends and family say they suspect the cause was a heart attack or a stroke, they said. Read Cedeno's .

Cedeno is survived by his father Ruben, 84, his brother who is also Ruben, his two children, Andrew, 10, and Carla, 7, and their mother, Beverly Hammond.

Cross and Crown has set up a college education fund for the kids, and is collecting money to purchase the kids new musical instruments. 

“All he ever wanted was a family and to make people happy,” Hammond said. “He did everything for those kids.”

Editor's note: Donations can be made to the Cedeno Children Education Fund via Cross and Crown Lutheran Church, located at 5475 Snyder Ln. Call 707-795-7863 with questions.

Click through the slideshow to the right for a photo story of the evening.