Issue Nº358 – In Memoriam

Gildo Maria Pivetta left his body on April 5th, in Belgium, surrounded by his wife and children. Gildo (most people know him as Guido) had been quite unwell lately and left Auroville in March 2019 for Belgium where it was found that a terminal cancer had rapidly spread throughout the body. He was 74 years old.

Gildo, who was originally Italian but lived in Belgium with his family before joining Auroville, started his newcomer process in December 2011 and became Aurovilian two years later. After a short while in Luminosity, he lived for the last two years in Swayam. Being fluent in French, he was individually tutoring pupils from various schools in the French language and he also taught in Last School.

He was an energetic, solitary man, very clean and orderly, not only in life but also in his approach to death. Nearing the welcomed end, he was very calm and clear, being profoundly grateful for what he had received in life.

Francesca Ivanov passed away on March 24 in a hospital near her native village, Edolo, in northern Italy. She was 48 years old.

Francesca first arrived in Auroville in 2007, and started her Newcomer process in 2009. She soon started working as a receptionist at Kailash Clinic. She loved the job and many of us may remember her as always busy and very involved and dedicated. In 2011, a year after officially joining Auroville, she had to return to Italy to look for a job that would provide her with resources to be able to continue to live here. Unfortunately, things did not go well for her and at the end of 2015 she discovered that she had lung cancer.

Auroville was always in her thoughts and words and prayers and Francesca never lost hope of returning one day. Sadly, this was not to be.