The quest to locate 82-year-old Tsering "Dolma" Wangyal, a Skokie resident, persists two months after her disappearance. According to ABC7 Chicago, she was last seen near the Levy Senior Center in Evanston, with the Tibetan community and her family desperate for answers.
A vigil took place Monday evening, rallying support and renewing hope for Wangyal's safe return. "It's eight weeks to the day that our neighbor walked away from the Levy Senior Center not to be seen again," Skokie Mayor George Van Duse expressed during the vigil, a sentiment reported by ABC7 Chicago. Family and friends, standing in the shadow of an unknowing, cling to a mix of hope and agony as they navigate the absence of their matriarch.
Wangyal's daughter, Tenzin Wangyal, spoke of the balance she's been forced to strike between optimism and despair. In a statement obtained by the Chicago Tribune, she said, "I go between hope and grief." She went on to describe her mother as a stronghold of tenacity and warmth, a figure who, despite a difficult childhood, embodied resilience.
Last week's discovery of a body in the North Shore Channel briefly cast a dark cloud of potential grief over the community. That body was later identified as belonging to a different missing individual, providing a bitter relief to Wangyal's loved ones. Skokie Mayor Van Dusen continued, displaying solidarity, "“My plea to you this evening: If you know anything, however small you think it is, please report it to the police. We want to bring her (Dolma) home, so please keep up the effort. We will find her, and we will reunite her with her family." – as per a Chicago Tribune report.
The Tibetan Alliance of Chicago has been instrumental in the ongoing search, with members canvassing the area and establishing a website to keep the public updated. According to Chicago Tribune, Tseten Porjee, president of the alliance, notes the profound connection many in the community feel with Wangyal, whom they affectionately refer to as "Ammala" or mother.
Norbu Samphel, the alliance's prayer leader, led a prayer at the vigil, invoking the Hindu goddess of compassion, Tara Devi, to aid in their search. The Skokie Police Department urges anyone with information regarding Tsering Dolma Wangyal's whereabouts to contact 911 or their direct line at 847-982-5900.
