Mum’s plea to bring Leon Villalba's body ‘home’

Published: 29 January 2010
by PETER GRUNER

THE mother of an Islington schoolboy and heavy rock guitarist who drowned in Brazil has launched an appeal to have his body taken back to her former home in the Philippines.
Single mother Lucretia Vilalba, who works as a cleaner, has no money to pay for the former model St Aloysius’ College pupil to be returned from Brazil to her home country.
Tributes were paid this week to Leon, 21, a graduate from London Metropolitan University. He died with his bandmate Timothy Kennelly, 18, from Ealing, after getting into trouble swimming in rough seas at the coastal resort of Aracaju last week. The band, After Death, had been on tour in playing local venues for just over a week, and were the support act for the band Master.
Drummer Barry O’Connor, 22, who also went to St Aloysius’ College, had tried to resuscitate his friend on the beach.
Deputy head of the college Danny Colye described Leon as an outstanding student who became a prefect.
“He was always well-mannered and very well-adjusted,” he added.
Ms Vilalba, who lives in King’s Cross, spoke of her devastation at the loss of her only son. She is preparing to fly back to the Philippines where she came from in the 1980s, to receive her son’s body.
Ms Vilalba described Leon as the best son a mother could have.
“He was a very kind and caring boy,” she said. “He texted me a few days before the accident saying he was missing me.”
But she now needs to raise £10,000 to fly Leon’s body from Brazil to the Philippines where he will be buried close to a family plot.
“Neither officials in Brazil nor the Philippines want to help me financially,” she said. “I’m having to borrow money from friends – and my employer has made a contribution.”
Leon, who was born in the UK, attended St Aloysius’ primary school in Camden, before going on to St Aloysius’ College in Islington. He then attended sixth form at La Swap in Highgate before embarking on a year’s art foundation course at the London Met.  
• Ms Vilalba has issued an appeal for help at: appeal@hotmail.co.uk