Cecilia S. Bernasconi

Born Carmen Cecilia Sandoval Gouët on February 10, 1944, in Concepcion, Chile, to Manuel Camilo Sandoval Munita and Lucia Gouët Vallet-Cendre, mom was the oldest of five children. She earned a bachelor's degree from the Universidad de Concepcion, where she met our dad Francisco (Pancho to his many friends) Enrique Bernasconi Laemmermann (d.1997) when he was her journalism professor. They married on September 11, 1965 in Concepcion and moved to Alexandria, Virginia in 1974.

Mom spent 12 years as a kindergarten aide at St. Mary's Catholic School in Old Town Alexandria, and forever after couldn’t walk down the streets in Old Town without running into former students or their parents and having them recount what an impact and positive influence she had been during their time at St. Mary’s. Mom spent another 9 years as an interpreter and outreach worker for the Fairfax County Health Department. She has many dear friends and a very wide social circle as we discovered after her illness. So many friends and acquaintances reached out and generously gave their time and spirit to help mom feel better.

She was a devoted and loving grandmother and relished spending her time with Luca, Robert, and Greta. She made sure to pass on her love of family, strength of character, and dignified nature with every interaction. Mom continued to teach each of us how to be the best versions of ourselves until her very last breath and we are forever grateful for the lessons she imparted.

She is survived by her children Francisco (also Pancho), his wife Beth, and their son Luca of Glen Ridge, NJ; her daughter Magdalena, her partner Derek Skaggs, and his daughter Greta, of Arlington, VA; and her son Nicolas, his wife Stacey, and their son Robert, of Ashburn, VA. She is also survived by her siblings, Maria Eugenia Sandoval of Santiago, Chile; Camilo Sandoval and his wife Maria Emilia Herrera of Santiago, Chile; Gerardo Sandoval and his wife Margaret Tullo, of Concepcion, Chile; and Lucia Sandoval and her husband Aquiles Vergara, of Santiago, Chile. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews in Chile.

A visitation will be held at Demaine Funeral Home in Alexandria on Tuesday, March 1 from 5-7pm. A funeral mass will be held at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Old Town Alexandria on Wednesday, March 2 at 10am.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to http://lustgarten.org/ or http://chrishondrosfund.org/