When Gilroy’s Woman of the Year isn’t working to make this town
a better place to live, she’s often found soaking up the sun on the
front porch of her neat Dowdy Street residence.
When Gilroy’s Woman of the Year isn’t working to make this town a better place to live, she’s often found soaking up the sun on the front porch of her neat Dowdy Street residence.
A creased stack of newspapers laid on the front table next to a cane bedecked with a pink tassel, similar to the streamers attached to young girls’ bicycle handles. Clad in a red sweatshirt that read “Celebrating life with salsa,” Cecilia Weymouth, 74, spoke modestly of her years of service to Gilroy, service that prompted Assemblywoman Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) to nominate Weymouth as woman of the year for the 28th Assembly District.
Weymouth recently traveled to the State Capitol to accept her award, which is proudly displayed on her living room wall.
The daughter of a farm worker, Antonio Del Buono, she learned the importance of helping others at an early age. For the last 40 years, she has worked to secure a voice for people who are less fortunate and less likely to participate in community affairs. Her maiden name translates to “of the good,” a name that fits her life’s work.
“Cecilia’s everyday decisions and actions show her deep and total commitment to social justice and community building,” said Caballero. “She has been a teacher, a mentor, a volunteer and an advocate on a range of issues, from housing and health care, to drug abuse prevention and parenting. She has touched the minds and hearts of all, and in doing so, has been on of the leaders who has built and shaped our community.”
Although flattered at the kind words of her fellow community members, Weymouth felt that she was just doing her duty.
“When I realized there was so much injustice and poverty in the world, I looked to the gods and ask why they allow it,” she said. “When they look back down at you and ask ‘why do you?’ I knew I had a responsibility,” she said.
With that in mind, Weymouth taught bilingual preschool classes at Eliot Elementary School and the Ochoa Migrant Center and helped found the Latina Coalition, the Community Alliance for Upgrading Student Access and Achievement, South County Housing and Speak Out. In each of her ventures, she worked toward an overriding goal, to combat bias and intolerance and provide a voice to the timid, whether they be women, Latinos or the poor.
Since she refused to speak at length about herself – she preferred discussing topics like Gilroy’s educational system, her disappointment when she sees names she recognizes as past students appearing on the police blotter, and her joy when other students keep in touch years into their teens – a close friend provided insight into Weymouth’s life.
Lani Yoshimura, Gilroy’s head librarian, has been friends and philanthropic cohorts with Weymouth for going on 30 years and is constantly amazed with her friend’s ability to grasp the bigger picture.
“There’s a lot of wisdom that comes from her,” Yoshimura said. “She’s a great sounding board. Whenever I run into something that I’m not sure what to do about, I call Cecilia. Even with this award, it’s not like she told anyone about it. She just does it and doesn’t expect anyone to know about it. She’s modest but very outspoken. She just says what she believes. Nothing more.”
