Sonia del Rosario Sarmiento Gutiérrez July 9, 1964 - May 5, 2024
Washington, District Of Columbia - Sonia del Rosario Sarmiento Gutierrez, beloved daughter and sister, devoted mother and cherished grandmother, passed away peacefully on May 5th, 2024 after a courageous battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her loving family.
Sonia was an adventurer whose life was marked by impressive achievements and profound love. Born in Bogota, Colombia on July 9th, 1964, Sonia was the youngest of five siblings. After moving to Miami in elementary school, Sonia graduated from the Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, attended finishing school in Switzerland and completed her undergraduate and Master’s Degree in Finance at the University of Miami.
In her early 20s, Sonia embraced the role of motherhood with unparalleled dedication and raised her son Julio Eduardo in Miami. She was always by his side as classroom mom, sports cheerleader and creative project assistant. Sonia and
Julio went on countless adventures together, sharing a love of global travel, bad action movies, board games (especially Monopoly), Thai food and basketball. The special bond they built as a “family of 2” was evident to anyone who spent time with them. This included all of Julio’s friends, who always stayed at her house. Julio may have been an only child, but Sonia became a “second mom” to many (and “by far the most fun mom,” according to them), sharing her kind but firm advice, enthusiastic amateur cooking, and a lot of laughter.
After her son left for college, Sonia’s career flourished. Channeling her love of arts, culture, science and history, she served with distinction as the Colombian ambassador to UNESCO. During that time, she made Paris her home, building a life and community of friends across Europe. Later, she completed her Master’s in Architecture at the University of Miami and worked with Construcciones Planificadas in Colombia. Her proudest accomplishment was driving the design and construction of the Centro de Tratamiento e Investigación sobre Cáncer (CTIC), Latin America’s preeminent cancer hospital based in Bogota, Colombia, which was donated to the nation by her father, Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo.
In 2018, Sonia received what she called the most treasured title of her life: grandmother, or “Ita.” Sonia was a ray of light to her three beloved grandchildren, to whom she was an art teacher, dancing partner, and endless gift-giver. There was nothing the children enjoyed more than their sleepovers at Ita’s house. Sonia’s legacy of love, loyalty and boundless joy will forever echo in the hearts of Kelly Marie, Griffin Charles and Donovan Patrick.
Sonia courageously battled melanoma for over five years, serving as an example of resilience and grace. Her unwavering spirit and strength were inspiring to behold, and she and her family were deeply and openly grateful for every moment she received; several years longer than doctors first thought.
Sonia will be deeply missed by her family, her friends, and all those who she touched with her kindness, laughter and unconditional love.
Sonia is survived by her son, Julio Eduardo Rojas Sarmiento, and daughter-inlaw Brynne McNulty Rojas; her grandchildren, Kelly, Griffin and Donovan Rojas; her parents, Fanny Guttierez de Sarmiento and Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo; and by her siblings, Maria Claudia Sarmiento, Luz Angela Sarmiento, Adriana Sarmiento and Luis Carlos Sarmiento.
To celebrate and honor Sonia’s life, a funeral service will be held at St. Hugh Catholic Church in Coconut Grove on Saturday, May 11th at 11am, with a lunch reception to follow.