Josefina Vasquez Suckins

Josefina Vasquzs Suckins died unexpectedly on June 10, four days after abdominal surgery. She was born on August 14, 1953.

 She is survived by her brothers and sisters, Nery, Griselda, Maximilliano, and Orlando Vasquez-Diaz, in Cali, Colombia; one sister, Esmeralda Vasquez-Diaz in Caracas; and her fiancé, Charlie De Santis of Newtown.

She was a world-class athlete, a naturalized US citizen, and an international flight attendant for Tower Air and most recently Delta Airlines. She competed for her native Columbia in the 1972 Munich Olympics in both the 100-meter dash and the 110-meter high hurdles. Upon her return to Colombia, she became renowned as one of Colombia’s first black fashion models.

In 1974 she moved to the United States to continue her career and obtained an associate degree in accounting from Barnard Baruch College in Manhattan. She was extremely proud of her United States citizenship and always considered herself a true New Yorker. She was always recognized for her beauty and style but remembered more for her infinite warmth and infectious personality.

 A memorial and reunion for Ms Suckins is planned in the New York Botanical Gardens, Bronx, N.Y., on Friday, July 12.

The Newtown Bee                June 21, 2002