SKOKIE, Ill. — North suburban communities are banding together to help find a missing 82-year-old woman who resides in Skokie.
The search continues Wednesday night on the North Shore and beyond for 82-year-old Tsering Wangyal, who was last seen in the area of the 9500 block of Bronx Place around 3:30 p.m. Monday.
She is 5’1″, weighs 160 pounds and has silver hair and brown eyes. Wangyal also wears glasses. Wangyal’s daughter, Tenzin, believes her mom was on her way to the Tibetan Alliance of Chicago (TAC) in Evanston for a prayer service before she went missing.
“She is definitely a sweet human being,” Tenzin Wangyal told WGN News.
Police say the missing 82-year-old woman may be wearing a dark, long-sleeved shirt, light pants and house slippers.
According to Tenzin Wangyal, the last family member to see her missing mother was her dad. She added that both parents live together in a Skokie-area condo around Golf Road and Skokie Boulevard near Old Orchard.
Her daughter added that Tsering Wangyal was observed on camera leaving the building around 3:55 p.m. Monday.
TAC has now become the search hub for Tsering. Community members have gathered at the site before searching parks and other locations nearby and throughout Chicago.
“As a community, we pray and we want the family to know that we are here as a community and we are here to help,” said TAC’s Sonam Tsering.
Tenzin Wangyal told WGN News that her mother had not been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s. Besides using a cane and taking medicine, Wangyal says her mother is in relatively good health for her age.
“This year, there has been like slowness and memory recollection. She did some cognitive exams, but everything from those exams says they are appropriate for an 82-year-old person,” she said.
In spite of the uncertainty, Tenzin is staying positive. She believes her mom, who is without her ID and cell phone, will be found safe.
“Everyone is very optimistic and feels that she will be home soon, so sending those positive prayers and vibes in the universe,” she said.
Investigators say there’s no indication of foul play. Anyone with information on her whereabouts may call 911 or police at (847) 982-5900.