Mother Lily Monteverde, Regal Entertainment matriarch, passes away at 84

Regal Entertainment matriarch and star-maker Lily Monteverde, fondly known as Mother Lily, has passed away, her son UP Fighting Maroons head coach Goldwin Monteverde confirmed Sunday.

Goldwin said that Mother Lily passed away early Sunday. She would have celebrated her 86th birthday on August 19.

"Mother Lily was surrounded by her children and grandchildren in her final hours. She was blessed with the chance to say goodbye to her closest friends and associates who bid her farewell yesterday before she left for that trip back home to the Divine Father," the family said in a statement posted on Regal Entertainment's social media accounts.

"The family is at peace now that their mother has not only found rest but has joined their father Remy in that place called eternity - as they were together in life as they will remain together where there is no space or time," they added.

"The Monteverde family are requesting for your prayers and to cherish the memory of Mother Lily not only as a face of cinema but as a loving mother who she truly was ... and will always be forever."

Mother Lily was the matriarch of Regal Entertainment, a film production company known for films like "Scorpio Nights," "Shake, Rattle & Roll," "Relasyon," and "Mano Po," among others.

She also helped launch and nurture the careers of her "Regal Babies," such as Alma Moreno, Gabby Concepcion, William and Albert Martinez, Snooky Serna, Dina Bonnevie, Ruffa Gutierrez, and the Diamond Star Maricel Soriano.

“Throughout her years she has not only been a mother to her children but also the 'Mother' to so many generations of Filipino filmmakers who have helped define what Philippine cinema is today," the family said.

"Even [in] her final years, Mother Lily has served as one of the cornerstones of the movie industry, providing opportunities to filmmakers -- both creative and technical -- to carve their names in our popular history," they added.

"Yet behind this veneer of accomplishment, Mother Lily was not merely a matriarch and the face of Regal Films but a true mother to artists and workers who had the chance to know her beyond the confines of work."

The wake and memorial service for Mother Lily will be held from 3:30 p.m. on August 5 to August 9 at 38 Valencia Events Place, Quezon City.

The interment will be on August 10 at The Heritage Park, Taguig.

She was married to Remy Monteverde, who died on July 29, just a few days before her passing.