The family of Lili Dias and her daughter, Caroline Lolita Dias, was supposed to have been bathing in the gentle afterglow that follows a wedding party on Tuesday.
Instead, it was steeped in mourning and attending to the last rites of the mother and daughter, who were killed in the Saturday's air crash.
The family, which eagerly waited for Caroline's help in the wedding preparations learned of her death in the tragedy that claimed 158 lives.
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Keith Mascarenhas and Shilpa Karkala got married on May 22 as scheduled, but with Lily and Caroline's deaths, a pall of gloom descended over the ceremony. Two days later, the family members bid adieu to the mother and daughter in St. Antony's Church in their village in Bantwal taluk.
Before bidding final goodbye to Lily and Caroline on Tuesday, Lily's grandchildren expressed their love for her and their aunt. Lily's brother-in-law, Robert Dias, a social worker in Udupi, told The Hindu that Lily had a loving nature and had great affection for children. Caroline (44) always took the initiative to help out at gatherings and family functions. Her help was expected at Keith's wedding too, her uncle R.L. Dias told The Hindu. In fact, Caroline, who works with an airline in Dubai, wanted to come to Mangalore some days early, as her brothers Clifford and Melwyn did, but could not get leave until that fateful day, he said.
A friend of the family, Geo D'Silvarecalls that Lily was an active member of Navoor gram panchayat for about seven years. “She was very active, she did a lot of work when she served as member. She was a very helpful person,” he said. She was also sensitive to the problems of the poor, he added.
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