With hearts heavier than words can express, we share the passing of our beloved Monika Ashley Molano, who left this world on September 1, 2026, at just 39 years old.

Monika was many things to many people—a devoted mother, daughter, sister, partner, granddaughter, niece, cousin, caregiver, and friend—but there was no role she treasured more than being Liam’s mom.

Her son, Liam Maloughney, was truly the center of her world. She loved him with every part of her heart, and she made certain that not a single day went by without him knowing it. Whether through her words, her concern, her encouragement, or simply being there, Monika’s love for Liam was constant and unconditional. Of all the things she leaves behind, that love may be her greatest legacy.

Monika had a tender and caring heart, and she carried that same compassion into her work as a home health caregiver. She worked tirelessly caring for others, giving her time, patience, and kindness to people who depended upon her. It was work that suited her because caring for others came naturally to Monika.

She also had a love for music that was uniquely her own. Her playlist could take you from country to heavy metal without warning—and somehow, that was perfectly Monika. She appreciated music in all its forms and found something to love in songs from completely different worlds.

Monika was loved by a large family and friends whose lives became intertwined with hers over the years. She leaves behind her beloved son, Liam Maloughney. She is survived by her mother, Sheryl Harris Alfredson, and stepfather, Eric Alfredson; and by her father, Martin Molano, and stepmother, Sara Ivey.

She also leaves behind her grandmother, Sandra Voronin; her sister, Erica Alfredson; her brother, Blake Brougher; her significant other, Clinton Alexander; her aunts and uncles, Shelly and Pete Garcia, Debbie and Dewayne Sloan, Gayle and Gary Cnossen; her aunts, Dalia Martinez and Anita Mendoza; her uncles, Jerry Molano, Gary Harris, and David Harris; as well as numerous cousins and dear friends.

Monika was preceded in death by her grandmother, Ramona Molano, for whom Monika was named; her uncles Pete Molano Jr. and Manuel Espinoza; her sister, Veronica Molano; and her cousin, Joanne Mendoza. We find comfort in imagining that those who went before her were there to welcome her home.

There is no way to sum up a life in a few paragraphs, and there are never enough words when someone leaves us too soon. We will remember Monika in the stories we tell, the photographs we treasure, the music that suddenly makes us think of her, and all those little moments that we may not have realized at the time would someday become precious memories.

Most of all, we will see Monika’s love continue through Liam. We hope he will always know just how completely and fiercely his mother loved him, how proud she was to be his mom, and how much of her heart she poured into him every single day.

Monika’s time with us was far too short, but her love was not. That remains with us.

We love you, Monika. You will be missed more than words can say, remembered more often than you could ever know, and carried in our hearts always.