Sumile Sonja Almanzar was a home health aide, beautician, and mother of two. She resided in New York City for most of her life after immigrating to the United States at seven years old. She died on October 11, 2023, at Mount Sinai Hospital after a lengthy and brave battle with breast cancer.

Born on August 23, 1983, in Georgetown, Guyana, Sumile was the firstborn child to Owen and Beatrice Sandiford. Shortly after Sumile’s birth, the family welcomed her younger sister Crystal whom Sumile enjoyed caring for alongside her mother. Throughout her childhood, Sumile would divide her time between her father’s home in Guyana and her mother’s new home in Brooklyn, New York.

By her teenage years, she was known by the nickname, Sunny, a fitting moniker for the girl who made friends wherever she went and led with humor, outspokenness, and a trusting spirit. She loved family just as much as she loved a good Caribbean meal! But also had a strong urge to be independent which led to her leaving home at an early age to pursue life outside of the confines of New York City.

By her early twenties, Sumile married, earned an associate degree in biology, and settled down to raise a family in Mill Basin, Brooklyn while working as a home health aide. She later welcomed a son and daughter into her family. After becoming a mom, she wanted more flexibility to raise her children while working, so she decided to use her natural talent for hair braiding and styling to open a hair salon.

During this period of her life, she experienced a measure of success. The Almanzar family enjoyed frequent family vacations, road trips, and dinners at Grandma’s house. However, it was short-lived. Soon after, Sumile began to struggle with debilitating pain from an accident and subsequent back surgery. She never seemed to recover from this event and experienced a series of unfortunate events while battling personal demons.

Sumile is survived by her children Alexander (14 years old) and Aliyah Almanzar (12 years old) and Alejandro Almanzar, their father; her mother Beatrice Sandiford of Cliffside Park, NJ; her sister Crystal Sandiford of Fort Lee, NJ along with nephew, Chris Sandiford, and nieces Olivia and Paige Sandiford; among a large extended family in the United States and abroad.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 21, 2023 from 9:00 am to 12 noon followed by a repast at the Sandiford residence in New Jersey. We will share a Zoom link for those who are unable to attend.