In Loving Memory
Margarita Maria Suarez
August 5, 1942-October 17, 2018

We are deeply saddened to tell you of the passing of Margarita Suarez. Margarita was the executive director of our organization for fourteen years and dedicated her life to promoting peace and justice.

When Margarita was a teen, she joined the Cuban underground to fight Fidel Castro and communism but eventually had to flee to the United States. Then when the Vietnam War started, she felt the need to go to Vietnam and fight communism as an army nurse. However, experiencing the horrors of war, she quickly soured on war as a solution and became a pacifist.

Upon returning to the US, Margarita had the opportunity to study with Virginia Satir and she said that her experience with Virginia saved her. She was able to get out of total despair and reconnect with hope. Because of the impact of Virginia’s teachings, she decided to work to teach them to others. She did this first as a trainer for Virginia and then a few years after Virginia died, she became the executive director of Avanta, the Virginia Satir Network, now known as the Virginia Satir Global Network.

I attended Margarita’s funeral on behalf of our organization and because of my long-standing friendship with her. It was an amazing service where people shared story after story of how Margarita had helped them, from the El Salvadoran family that had suffered much as immigrants, to the parents who had lost children to death, and to the family who wrote a poem of gratitude to her for the love she had shown them.

As people spoke, the common themes that came through were remembering Margarita’s ability to be funny, her compassion for people being unfairly treated, her generosity, her ability to speak truth to power and her wisdom.

As someone said, Virginia, always emphasized that each person is unique, but Margarita was UNIQUE, a special gift to the world! She will be sorely missed.

Sharon Loeschen, President

Link to Margarita’s obituary:  http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/seattletimes/obituary.aspx?n=margarita-m-suarez&pid=190521874