ALVAREZ-ALTALEF, Dr. Rebeca

Rebeca Alvarez-Altalef, devoted mother and cherished daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, and friend, passed away unexpectedly on October 13, 2022, at her home in Cambridge, MA. She was 53 years old.

Rebeca was born on July 10, 1969, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, the third child of Dr. Edmundo Alvarez and Alma Altalef. From her mother, she got her Sephardic Jewish heritage, which was important to her throughout her life. From her father, a public health expert, she got her love of medicine and her desire to improve the lives of children. After graduating from high school, she studied medicine at San Carlos University in Guatemala City and then completed two residencies in pediatrics, the first at San Juan de Dios General Hospital in Guatemala City and the second at Beth Israel Medical Center/Long Island College Hospital in New York City. She then completed a residency and fellowship in neurology at Children’s Hospital in Boston. After finishing her medical training, she worked as a pediatric neurologist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston and at Elliot Hospital in Manchester, NH. She was a dedicated physician who combined clinical expertise with an ability to connect with people of all ages, and she developed enduring relationships with her young patients and their parents.

An outgoing and generous person, Rebeca touched the lives of many people. Although she lived in the United States for 25 years, she stayed in close contact with her father, her siblings, and a large network of extended family and friends in Guatemala, as well as with friends, colleagues, and former patients from her years in New York City and Boston. She was a great dancer and she had a wonderful ability to make people laugh. Among her many endearing qualities were her goofy sense of humor, her fanatical devotion to her favorite soccer teams, her love of Harry Potter, and the steady stream of Spanish-language memes that she liked to share. Her life revolved around her two daughters and she delighted in spending time with them.

Rebeca is survived by her beloved daughters, Miriam Alvarez-Rosenbloom and Elisa Alvarez-Rosenbloom; her father, Dr. Edmundo Alvarez; her siblings, María Alvarez, Samuel

Alvarez, Andrés Alvarez, and Gabriela Alvarez; and her former wife, Rachel Rosenbloom. She was preceded in death by her mother, Alma Altalef.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Yo’o Guatemala, https://yo-o.org/ a community center serving families in a rural area in Guatemala.

A Memorial Service will be held in Guatemala City on November 6.