Sonia Christina Vega

Sonia Christina Vega, beloved daughter, sister, and friend, passed away unexpectedly on July 2, 2024 at the age of 39 and a half. Sonia was born on December 29th, 1984 to Mariano Vega Jr. and Sonia Ivette Zayas Vega. She was kind, compassionate, and generous, with a legendary laugh.

Sonia, alternatively known as Christina, Titi Chrissy, or Miss Chrissy, leaves behind her two siblings, her favorite older sister, Vanessa Vega and her favorite younger brother, Mariano Vega III. She is also survived by their spouses, whom she loved greatly: Jeffrey David Coots, and Denise Alves Araujo. She was the proud auntie of Paloma Irene CootsVega (10) and Magnolia Luz CootsVega (8), her loving nieces, and was looking forward to welcoming into the world her nephew-to-be (currently in utero) in October, 2024. She was a life-time resident of downtown Jersey City ("Chilltown"), which she regularly confirmed was "the best city."

Miss Chrissy was many things: a level 1 Black belt in tae kwon do, a talented dancer in a variety of styles (ballet, jazz, West African, tap, pointe, salsa/merengue, hip-hop and belly dancing), a committed student of piano with Miss Kauro, a life-long, expert skier, a world-traveler and polyglot (English, Spanish, French, Portuguese), a dependable and talented therapy assistant, and the best daughter, sister and Titi that anyone could ever ask for. She loved spending time with her family and friends in Jersey City, the Catskills, and Puerto Rico. She was a sentinel on the Pedestrian Plaza, always alert for her colleagues and the children of Sensory Kids & Social Minds. Though she was limited in her expressive communication, she was always able to express her love through her acts of kindness: pebbling her loved ones with thoughtful gifts, offering deep hugs and committed acts of service. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

A viewing will be held on Saturday, July 6th, 2024 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Riotto Funeral Home, 3205 JFK Blvd., Jersey City, NJ 07306. (For GPS navigation, it is best to use our parking lot address: 14 Stagg Street). Chrissy was a consummate philanthropist: in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to her favorite charities– Unicef (unicefusa.org), The Puerto Rico Dog Fund benefiting PR’s street dogs (prdf.org), or her mother’s charity supporting access to high-quality therapeutic intervention for neurodivergent children, Miss Sonia’s House (@missoniashouse, Venmo). Cremation will be private. 

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