On June 18, 2025, Lindsay Anne Cordova Laguna passed away after a five-year journey with metastatic breast cancer. She was 40 years old.
Lindsay was born on September 19, 1984, in Chicago, Illinois in a Filipino immigrant family. Her Filipino immigrant heritage was among the motivators of her social justice activism, as was the Christian faith, in which she was raised and
which she continued to practice and explore throughout her life. Lindsay called many places home, including most recently Quincy, Massachusetts, where she had lived since 2013.
Lindsay earned her bachelor’s degree in International Studies, with minors in Sociology and Spanish, from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She went on to complete a Master of Education in Higher Education from the Harvard
Graduate School of Education.
Lindsay lived with purpose, dedicating herself to creating supportive and engaging communities that allowed others to connect, grow, and thrive. She described herself as a “dream strategist,” finding joy in helping others achieve their goals
and live more meaningful lives. When she wasn’t organizing dinner parties (dress code: bold and colorful), binging Only Murders in the Building, or calling her elected representatives, she was reading, writing, thinking, or dancing. Usually
simultaneously. In recent years, she cultivated her creative writing practice through classes at Grub Street, and was particularly interested in the genres of memoir and children’s picture books.
She devoted her career to advancing the educational and professional success of students and professionals alike. She held positions at Simmons University, Wellesley College, Laspau (a nonprofit affiliate of Harvard University), Boston
University, and JobNet Career Center. She also served her community in numerous volunteer roles, including as a member of the board of directors for Harvard Alumni for Global Women’s Empowerment (Harvard GlobalWE), as a hotline
counselor for the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC), as a mentor for Year Up, and co-founded the community organization, Quincy4Justice. Lindsay knew the importance of building relationships between teams, departments, and
institutions and her colleagues admired her commitment to standing up for the communities they served.
In her leisure time, Lindsay enjoyed exploring new places with her trusty guidebook in hand. She loved a good meal, good conversation, and good music.
She will be missed for her well-articulated points of view, thoughtful questions, and natural curiosity about the human experience that fueled her passion for social justice.
Lindsay will be remembered for her intelligence, fierce advocacy, and unwavering generosity of spirit. She had a positive impact on the lives of countless individuals and leaves behind a legacy of compassion, humility, and integrity.
She is survived by a loving family, including her father Dr. Plumbum Vinzi Laguna, her mother Dr. Lorna Cordova Laguna,her sister Leslie Laguna Oliveros with her children and husband, a circle of loving cousins, as well as a deeply devoted community of friends.
Lindsay was laid to rest at Wildwood Cemetery in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Those who wish to honor Lindsay and her memory are encouraged to donate to Metavivor, an organization dedicated to the specific fight of individuals living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, or any other reputable organization that
promotes public health, racial justice, and/or works to end (sexual or gun) violence.