December 3 2019 February 21 2020
Heart. Warrior. Spirit. Love. These four words encompass Ethan Jude Mendoza’s life, which ended on February 21, 2020. Ethan was born at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on December 3, 2019. This miracle lit up the lives of every person he saw and touched. While he was a patient for 10 weeks at CHOP, he received numerous visits from nurses like Sam and cardiac fellows like Travus and Trevor, and doctors like Maryam who adored him. With his proud and loving parents by his side each day and night, he fought 3 heart defects with a one-of-a-kind spirit. This warrior made it through a surgery conducted by the amazing and kind-hearted Dr Fuller at 3 days old, growing from 7 lbs 5 oz up to 9 lbs 10 oz. He overcame 3 different intubations/breathing tube periods, a paralyzed vocal cord, a blood infection, and more to make it home to Tinton Falls, NJ. Ethan spent three holidays with his mother Kalagh, father Daniel, and sister Liliana: Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and ironically Valentine’s Day, the last of which was spent at home. His heart, love, and memory will survive and thrive through his parents, Kalagh and Daniel, his sister, Liliana, his furry sibling, Jersey, his grandparents, Martha and Darwin Mendoza, grandmother Judy Stice, grandfather Ray Stice, and countless cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends from across the globe – from the US to Colombia, Peru and Spain, Germany and Japan. A wake will be held at Ely’s Funeral Home At 3316 Route 33 in Neptune, NJ on Thursday, February 27, from 5 to 8pm. A memorial service will be held at Trinity Church at 503 Asbury Avenue in Asbury Park, NJ on Friday, February 28, at 11am. We ask all attending Friday’s service to wear something red or with hearts on it. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent in his name to either the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia or the Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia. To send a memorial gift to the family of Ethan Jude Mendoza please visit our Sympathy Store.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Ethan Jude Mendoza December 3 2019 February 21 2020.
Death notice for the town of: Neptune, state: New Jersey