Citizens Environment Alliance (CEA) Founder Ric Coronado passed away July 30, 2019. (Photo courtesy of CEA)

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Family, friends and admirers have been invited to commemorate the legacy of a local environmentalist.

A celebration of life has been set for Citizens Environment Alliance of Southwestern Ontario (CEA) founder Ric Coronado, who died on July 30 of this year at age 78. The memorial will take place at historic Mackenzie Hall in Windsor’s Old Sandwich Towne.

The event is on from 1 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., with spoken word tributes expected to begin around 2 p.m. According to the obituary provided by Families First Funeral Home, Coronado was cremated.

Coronado was active with CAW Local 444 (now Unifor), having served as the union local’s environmental committee chairman. He founded the Windsor and District Clean Water Alliance, later renamed the CEA, in 1985 and was responsible for creating the contract language between Unifor and Chrysler creating a joint national environment committee.

According to the statement issued by the CEA at Coronado’s passing, he also helped in the formation of the city of Windsor’s Environmental Advisory Committee, and the formation of the labour caucus of the Canadian Environmental Network. At the same time, he spent years working on Detroit River issues through the Binational Public Advisory Committee.

The CEA is now overseen by Coronado’s son Derek.

Legendary Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki referred to Coronado as “a silverback” among environmentalists, because he was a fearless protector and a gentle and respected elder who had an enormous influence on his community.

The family is asking that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Coronado’s memory to the CEA.

-With files from Paul Pedro