My mother-in-law Concordia Durano Gorre passed away peaceful in her sleep on April 6, 2013 – just short of her 90th birthday. Here she is with my father-in-law Vicente Gorre who I never met. He passed away at an unnaturally young age in 1978. I love this picture, which of course I didn’t take. It seems to have been taken by the Robles Agency in Cebu City, Philippines.

Mama was an amazing person. She didn’t talk a lot, but the area we had most in common was cooking. I love to cook and I’m not too bad. However, compared to her I’m a rank amateur. She taught me a lot.

She always seemed a little sad to me – probably because she had lost her much loved husband very early. But she was tough and got on with her life.

RIP Mama.