Obituary: Artist and high school teacher Lesley Cordero was ‘a powerhouse’
TV talk show host Amanda Kloots is remembering her mother-in-law, Lesley Cordero of Hamilton, as a powerhouse, a woman of great strength and great advice."
Kloots said Cordero - who died Jan. 13 at 71 - was an important part of the unsuccessful battle her husband, Broadway and TV actor Nick Cordero, had with COVID-19 in 2020.
Nick died July 5 in a Los Angeles hospital of complications of COVID-19 after a three-month fight - which saw him, among other things, lose a leg - and Kloots chronicled his struggle daily on Instagram. The postings were read by people around the world and were highlighted by media such as the U.S. morning shows and People magazine. Hollywood celebrities like Sylvester Stallone uploaded videos offering their support.
Cordero told The Spectator she was swamped with calls and prayers from people over Nick's condition.
My heart is broken today," Kloots, the co-host of CBS's The Talk," said on Instagram the day of Cordero's death. Nick's mother, my mother-in-law, Lesley Cordero, has passed away.
Lesley and I got very close when Nick got sick. We were soldiers going to battle every day, fighting for the man we loved. We traded hours at the hospital and comforted each other's tears at night. She was a powerhouse, a woman of great strength and great advice. She was a huge help to me as a fellow widow, understanding how to navigate this new life."
Cordero's children, Matt and Amanda, announced her passing on her web page Lesley Cordero Fine Art. She died at the Dr. Bob Kemp Hospice after a very brief battle with liver cancer. Matt teaches early childhood education at Mohawk College and Amanda owns Pretty Grit on James Street North.
In an interview, Amanda Cordero said her mother had been fighting breast cancer for the last year and believed all was well. She was diagnosed with liver cancer about three weeks before her death.
She left without fear," said Amanda. It was very peaceful in the end."
Cordero was a well-known abstract artist and high school art teacher. She was born June 4, 1951, in Fergus to Edward and Margaret Stephens. The family moved to Hamilton when she was seven after her father went to work as a manager at International Harvester. Her mother was a housewife.
She graduated from Westdale Secondary School where she served as secretary on the student council. She received a bachelor of arts from the University of Guelph in 1972 and a bachelor of education from the University of Toronto in 1974.
Her first high school was Sir Allan MacNab. She also taught at Glendale but spent the bulk of her career at Delta. She also spent seven years at the public board office as head of computers and technology. Her daughter said her mother had sidelines, like a consulting company and selling cosmetics.
Cordero retired from the board in 2005 after 30 years and joined the Tiger Group Studio Gallery, which also included Festival of Friends founder Bill Powell. It was founded in 1974 and work was featured for eight years at a gallery on Barton Street East owned by Powell.
He closed the gallery in 2013 and Cordero moved to a studio on Ottawa Street North and then The Cotton Factory. She exhibited her work at shows in Milton, Burlington, Dundas, Hamilton and Toronto.
Her daughter Amanda said her mother always got compliments on her smile and laugh. She collected people in everything she did" and helped guide people.
She was so curious," said Amanda. She wanted to know about investment real estate and she dove into it. She was fearless. She had no problem taking on new hats."
Cordero is survived by her children, Matt and Amanda, grandchildren Jack, Elvis, Eva and Sammy and sisters Jane and Nancy. She was predeceased by her husband Eduardo, who died at age 69 in 2017. A celebration of life is being planned for The Cotton Factory next month.
Daniel Nolan can be reached at dannolanwrites@gmail.com