Sara Soriano's Obituary
Sara Soriano, 90, of Aventura, died peacefully on February 17, 2024, surrounded by her children. She was a friend to all she met, always gracing even strangers with a warm smile, kindness and a twinkle in her remarkable turquoise eyes. Although world-travelled and gifted at languages, she actually preferred the comforts of a simple, quiet existence at home. Her recliner was her favorite spot.
Sara, whose birth name was Sarina Eskenazi, came from humble beginnings. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, her early years were lived in a modest home with no electricity. Her family fled Alexandria after it was bombed during World War II, escaping by train to Cairo. Throughout her life, she feared the sound of thunder because she said it reminded her of the bombs. In Cairo, she and her sister Luna (Leonie) attended a French school run by nuns. She ended her formal education after elementary school so she could work to help her family.
Sara married for the first time at age 20, in part so she could leave Egypt, which was becoming a hostile place for Jews after the establishment of Israel. She and her husband, Charles Bochi, went to Paris as refugees and began to apply for permanent residence to numerous countries. They agreed they would go to the first country that accepted them – and that turned out to be Canada. It was fortuitous, since they could use their French there. At home, they spoke Arabic. The culture shock was huge, not only because of the different traditions and Western sensibilities, but also the frigid winters. Before they divorced, three daughters were born from her marriage to Charles: Ghislaine, Kim (KiKi) and Debbie.
Sara ended up in Miami, where she met the love of her life, George Soriano, who predeceased her in 2010. Their marriage produced a son, George. They had a wonderful life together as they embraced American culture – eating regularly at the mall and later at the Chinese food buffet, making their home in a comfortable condo, and taking daily trips to Publix to buy lottery tickets. For many years, she held down two jobs, working as a bookkeeper at the Colonial Inn on Sunny Isles and the Palms Hotel in Surfside. She was passionate about her work long after retirement age. She was very proud to work for Chaves Holdings well into her 80s, and considered Jerry and Jaquie to be family.
In her final years in Wellington, she found pleasure in small things, like sneaking Cheerios to Finley and Hazel, the dogs she shared with her daughter, Debbie. She also enjoyed video calls on her iPad, playing word search and solitaire online, Watching Wheel of Fortune every day, and eating stone crabs on her birthday. She remained positive and greeted each day with an open heart (after she had her coffee).
She was proud that as children she and her cousin Tuna entertained the British troops with dance shows during World War II, that she once met Eleanor Roosevelt at an Israeli refugee camp, and that until the very end she remained sharp enough to do rapid addition and subtraction in her head (in French, of course).
In addition to her four children, Ghislaine (Thane Gillies), KiKi, Debbie and George (Julio Fernandez), Sara is survived by five grandchildren — James Hawkins, Ben Weisz, Ayla Weisz, Bryanna Shaw and Ethan Shaw — as well as one great-grandson, Charlie Hawkins, a niece and nephew, Daniella and Yohan Mizrachi, and many cousins.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The Asher House animal sanctuary (TheAsherHouse.com) or HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS.org), or any charity that is meaningful to you.
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