Latest news with #MiaLove
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Utah congresswoman Mia Love's life, voice remembered in public funeral
Former Utah Rep. Mia Love's family members carry her casket outside the Institute of Religion at the University of Utah campus on Monday, April 7, 2025. (Photo by Marco Lozzi for Utah News Dispatch) In the hallway to former congresswoman Mia Love's memorial on Monday, dozens of pictures immortalized countless moments of a full life; they show her hugging her children, marrying her husband Jason, giving speeches at rallies, and being unable to contain laughter. Love was the first Black Utahn to be elected to the U.S. Congress after a career in local politics in Saratoga Springs. That made her name widely known in national politics. However, as those photos reflect, Love's family and friends remember her as the best friend, mom and aunt, and strong, influential figure for those around her. She died on March 23 at 49 after fighting brain cancer for three years. As hundreds gathered in a Latter-day Saint chapel at the University of Utah's Institute of Religion for a public funeral, many speakers' voices cracked as they remembered stories of her life and some of the last moments they shared with Love. They also tried to honor her request to keep moments of glee in her memorial. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Former Utah Rep. Mia Love, America's first Black Republican congresswoman, dies of cancer at 49 'Mia and I periodically spoke about this moment and the potential of one of us dying early. And as we considered the possibilities again, she would take a jab at me and say, 'look at how well my family is aging. Remember Jason, black don't crack,'' Jason Love said on Monday morning prompting some laughs. 'But she made it very clear to me and to our family that she wanted this moment to be a time of celebration.' And while, inevitably, there were some tears, Love's family and friends spent the morning quoting her jokes and full extracts of her book 'Qualified,' in which she spoke about her story as a daughter of Haitian Immigrants in New York and Connecticut. She recalled how her diverse background gave her a valuable voice, not only for issues that affect minorities, but for all issues and how women, and Black women in particular, should pursue opportunities often taken by white men. Jason Love remembered how after 11 weeks of radiation and chemotherapy, Love insisted on recording the audio version of that book, a now on-repeat staple in his routine. 'Whether in an elected position or lobbying for policies outside a formal office, I found power in my story, and cannot help but to share it,' Mia Love read in her audio book in a special note for people in minority communities. 'The United States of America needs your voice and needs to hear your stories. You are qualified. Find your voice, lead with character and empower others to do the same.' Love first learned about her brain tumor after experiencing migraines and excruciating pain during a family trip in Puerto Rico. After getting back to Utah, she was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a highly malignant type of brain cancer. Then, doctors said she would live for 10 to 15 months. 'Mia fought cancer valiantly, and this week marks her third year anniversary from her diagnosis,' Jason Love said. 'She doubled the life expectancy, in typical Mia Love fashion.' On March 1, Love's daughter Abigale shared in a post on X that her cancer wasn't responding to treatment and was progressing, making her family shift her focus from treatment to enjoying their remaining time together. Hundreds come to honor Mia Love ahead of funeral Many have since gathered at public tributes, including a viewing memorial at the Utah State Capitol on Sunday, in which her husband and children, Alessa, Abigale and Peyton greeted guests ahead of the Monday funeral as Love lay in state. After the service, there was a military service outside the chapel, with a presentation of the American flag in front of Love's casket. Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson witnessed all services from a prime spot. She and Love were close friends, bonded amid campaign conversations and a shared love of the state and the country, Henderson said during the Monday ceremony. Henderson remembered Love's clear instructions on how to best help her during her illness. ''I'm in fight mode,' she told us, 'and what I need from you all, more than anything, is to help me fight it. This is a campaign, and we are going to win. Fight with me. Run with me. Climb that summit with me.'' Henderson said. 'And so our job was clear, no doom and gloom, no tears, although we cried many, just not in front of Mia.' Among all speakers in the service, there were other stories representative of Love's character; when she was mayor, she made the newly appointed Saratoga Springs city manager carry her purse around as a joke. She also made Lt. Gov. Henderson buy heels in a Tampa store ahead of her speech in the Republican National Convention, which, she indicated, 'had to be tall' and had her daughter recite the pledge of allegiance in front of every American flag they encountered when she was a toddler. Her family and friends also emphasized the message she aimed to spread during her time in public office. 'Mia's work is unfinished. It is. And she wanted each of us here today to join her. The adversaries of freedom and righteousness seek to divide us through the natural seams of our fabric of society. They know that if they apply a little bit of pressure to these natural seams of race, of religion, of gender, of income, they know that they can get us divided and they can weaken us,' Jason Love said. 'Mia and I believe that there has never been a greater time on this earth in the history of humanity. Let's listen to what Mia said.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
The Guardian
07-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
First Black Republican congresswoman honored in Utah after dying from brain cancer
Family and friends of former US congresswoman Mia Love gathered Monday in Salt Lake City to honor the life and legacy of the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress after she died of brain cancer last month at age 49. The former lawmaker from Utah, a daughter of Haitian immigrants, had undergone treatment for an aggressive brain tumor called glioblastoma and received immunotherapy as part of a clinical trial. She died on 23 March at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah, weeks after her daughter announced she was no longer responding to treatment. Hundreds of mourners entered her service from a walkway lined with American flags at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Institute of Religion on the University of Utah campus. Long tables displayed framed family photos and bouquets of red and white flowers. Love served only two terms in Congress before suffering a razor-thin loss to Democrat Ben McAdams in the 2018 midterm elections as Democrats surged. Yet she left her mark on Utah's political scene and later leveraged her prominence into becoming a political commentator for CNN. She was briefly considered a rising star in the GOP, but her power within the party fizzled out as Donald Trump took hold. Love kept her distance from the US president and called him out in 2018 for vulgar comments he made about immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and some African nations. Jason Love, her husband, drew laughter from the somber crowd at Monday's service when he told stories of his wife's 'superpowers'. He described discovering her influence after he tried to return the many toasters the couple received as wedding gifts and failing because he didn't have receipts. His wife then entered the store and came out three minutes later with cash in hand. 'I thought: 'Wow, I have married a Jedi knight,'' he said with a laugh. Her motherhood, he said, was her greatest superpower. 'She was an extraordinary mother, and she believed that the most important work she would do within her life was within the walls of her own home with her children,' Jason Love said. 'She always made it a special place for each of them to feel loved and to begin to achieve their full potential.' A choir of Love's friends sang some of her favorite hymns, as well as Ed Sheeran's Supermarket Flowers. Her children, Alessa, Abigale and Peyton, read an op-ed their mother published in the Deseret News shortly before she died in which she shared her enduring wish for the country to become less divisive. Love's sister Cyndi Brito shared childhood memories, including how Love used to rehearse all day and night for starring roles in her school plays. She was always the best at everything she did and made everyone around her feel important, her sister said. Brito read an excerpt of a speech her third-grade daughter gave at a recent school assembly for Black History Month honoring Love's legacy. 'Mia Love played many roles and had many titles, but the most important role and the most important title that Mia Love played in my eyes was auntie,' Brito recalled her daughter, Carly, telling classmates. Love did not emphasize her race during her campaigns, but she acknowledged the significance of her election after her 2014 victory. She said her win defied naysayers who suggested a Black, Republican, Mormon woman could not win a congressional seat in overwhelmingly white Utah. On Sunday evening, state leaders and members of the public visited the Utah capitol to pay their respects at Love's flag-covered coffin behind ropes in the building's rotunda. Love, born Ludmya Bourdeau, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2022 and said her doctors estimated she had only 10 to 15 months to live, which she surpassed. With aggressive treatments, Love lived for nearly three years after receiving her diagnosis. Her close friend, Utah Lt Gov Deidre Henderson, told the audience on Monday that Love had asked her friends and family to rally around her like a campaign team when she was diagnosed. ''I'm in fight mode,' she told us, 'and what I need from you all, more than anything, is to help me fight it. This is a campaign, and we are going to win,'' Henderson recalled. Love entered politics in 2003 after winning a city council seat in Saratoga Springs, 30 miles (48km) south of Salt Lake City. She was elected as the city's mayor in 2009, becoming the first Black woman to serve as a mayor in Utah. In 2012, after giving a rousing speech at the Republican national ocnvention, she narrowly lost a bid for the US House against the Democratic incumbent. She ran again two years later and won.
Washington Post
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Former US Rep. Mia Love honored in Utah after brain cancer death
SALT LAKE CITY — Family and friends of former U.S. Rep. Mia Love are set to gather Monday in Salt Lake City to honor her life and legacy after she died of brain cancer in March at age 49. Love, a daughter of Haitian immigrants, was the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress. The former lawmaker from Utah had undergone treatment for an aggressive brain tumor called glioblastoma and received immunotherapy as part of a clinical trial. She died at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah, weeks after her daughter announced she was no longer responding to treatment. State lawmakers and members of the public visited the Utah Capitol on Sunday evening to pay their respects at Love's flag-covered coffin behind ropes in the building's rotunda. The public is invited to attend her memorial service Monday morning at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Institute of Religion on the University of Utah campus. It will be followed by an honor guard presentation. Love, born Ludmya Bourdeau, represented Utah on Capitol Hill from 2015 to 2019. She and her husband, Jason, had three children, Alessa, Abigale and Peyton. She was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2022 and said her doctors estimated she had only 10 to 15 months to live, which she surpassed. With aggressive treatments, Love lived for about three years after receiving her diagnosis. Love entered politics in 2003 after winning a seat on the city council in Saratoga Springs, 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. She was elected as the city's mayor in 2009, becoming the first Black woman to serve as a mayor in Utah. In 2012, after giving a rousing speech at the Republican National Convention, she narrowly lost a bid for the U.S. House against the Democratic incumbent. She ran again two years later and defeated a first-time candidate by about 7,500 votes. Love did not emphasize her race during her campaigns, but she acknowledged the significance of her election after her 2014 victory. She said her win defied naysayers who suggested a Black, Republican, Mormon woman could not win a congressional seat in overwhelmingly white Utah. She was briefly considered a rising star in the GOP, but her power within the party fizzled out as President Donald Trump took hold. Love kept her distance from Trump and called him out in 2018 for vulgar comments he made about immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and some African nations. Later that year, she lost in the midterm elections as Democrats surged.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hundreds come to honor Mia Love ahead of funeral
Two state troopers stand by the casket of Rep. Mia Love in the Utah State Capitol on Sunday, April 6, 2025. (Photo by Marco Lozzi for Utah News Dispatch) As beautiful spring weather drew visitors to the grounds of the Utah State Capitol, nearly 1,000 friends, coworkers and constituents gathered inside to pay their respects to former Utah Rep. Mia Love and offer their condolences to her family. Love is survived by an extensive family including her husband Jason, daughters Abigale and Alessa, and son Peyton, who greeted guests at the Capitol as Love lay in state. Love's career was marked by important firsts, including being the first Black woman elected as mayor in Utah, when she was chosen to lead Saratoga Springs, and as the first Black Utahn elected to Congress. When she took her place in the U.S. House, she was the first Black Republican congresswoman. She died March 23 at the age of 49 after battling a rare form of brain cancer. As they shared memories of Love on Sunday, some who came to honor her recalled her energy for her work and her commitment to Utahns. 'Mia was, I think, groundbreaking in a number of different ways. She had the energy to do the job, but she wanted to do it in a way that made a difference to people and that meant representing all the people,' said Richard Piatt, Love's former communications director. 'She would meet with anyone that wanted to meet with her, and she made friends with a lot of people. I think that that's probably one of her biggest legacies is that she didn't mind taking on issues that she knew mattered to Utah, and mattered for the 4th District.' Others described Love's knack for connecting with those she met and her dedication to service. 'If you talk to just about anybody here, they will tell you that they were best friends with Mia. She was everybody's best friend,' said DeLaina Tonks, a longtime friend of Love. 'Her dad told her 'You must give back.' That was his thing that he told her after coming to the states from Haiti, and she has taken that to heart. That's what she taught her children, it's what she taught my children, it's what she taught all of her friends is that we're here to make a difference, to change the world and to make the world a better place.' Love will be remembered in funeral services Monday at 10 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Institute building at the University of Utah. A live stream can be viewed on YouTube. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former US Rep. Mia Love honored in Utah after brain cancer death
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Family and friends of former U.S. Rep. Mia Love are set to gather Monday in Salt Lake City to honor her life and legacy after she died of brain cancer in March at age 49. Love, a daughter of Haitian immigrants, was the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress. The former lawmaker from Utah had undergone treatment for an aggressive brain tumor called glioblastoma and received immunotherapy as part of a clinical trial. She died at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah, weeks after her daughter announced she was no longer responding to treatment. State lawmakers and members of the public visited the Utah Capitol on Sunday evening to pay their respects at Love's flag-covered coffin behind ropes in the building's rotunda. The public is invited to attend her memorial service Monday morning at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Institute of Religion on the University of Utah campus. It will be followed by an honor guard presentation. Love, born Ludmya Bourdeau, represented Utah on Capitol Hill from 2015 to 2019. She and her husband, Jason, had three children, Alessa, Abigale and Peyton. She was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2022 and said her doctors estimated she had only 10 to 15 months to live, which she surpassed. With aggressive treatments, Love lived for about three years after receiving her diagnosis. Love entered politics in 2003 after winning a seat on the city council in Saratoga Springs, 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. She was elected as the city's mayor in 2009, becoming the first Black woman to serve as a mayor in Utah. In 2012, after giving a rousing speech at the Republican National Convention, she narrowly lost a bid for the U.S. House against the Democratic incumbent. She ran again two years later and defeated a first-time candidate by about 7,500 votes. Love did not emphasize her race during her campaigns, but she acknowledged the significance of her election after her 2014 victory. She said her win defied naysayers who suggested a Black, Republican, Mormon woman could not win a congressional seat in overwhelmingly white Utah. She was briefly considered a rising star in the GOP, but her power within the party fizzled out as President Donald Trump took hold. Love kept her distance from Trump and called him out in 2018 for vulgar comments he made about immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and some African nations. Later that year, she lost in the midterm elections as Democrats surged.
