Myrna Jacobo Sotto

Myrna Jacobo Sotto passed away peacefully at the age of 92 in her home in Catonsville, MD on March 26, 2026. A beloved wife, mother, sister, lola (grandmother), tita (aunt), and friend, Myrna will be remembered for her generosity, humor, candor, and love for family, food, and music.

Born on October 5, 1933, in Mabitac, Laguna, in the Philippines to Leocadio Jacobo and Victorina Vicuña, Myrna immigrated to the United States in the 1960s. In 1971, she met Albert Sotto, who was serving in the U.S. Navy. Myrna and Albert’s love grew while writing letters to one another, and they married on August 12, 1972. They raised their children first in Baltimore city and then in Catonsville.

Myrna’s home was a frequent gathering place for family and friends, and she was known to tell a few jokes before everyone left with bellies full of her famous lumpia and other Filipino foods. A classically trained pianist, Myrna graduated from Peabody Institute in 1969, and for over thirty years she brought music to the lives of thousands of students as a Baltimore city school teacher. Myrna was hard-working, multi-talented, and devoted to her faith and community. In addition to her work as a music teacher, she catered for friends’ events, tutored Tagalog language learners, taught Spanish classes and private piano lessons, and helped the elderly at Little Sisters of the Poor. She was a parishioner of St. Mark Church and was very active in local Filipino-American community organizations, volunteering for many years to lead and provide piano accompaniment to a group of spirited Christmas carolers. She was a beloved member of a large extended family, who could count on her for a birthday greeting, a candid opinion, a place to stay, and deep love.

In her final years, Myrna battled Alzheimer’s disease. Her strength shone through when she continued to play piano, sing karaoke, and tell her family, “Mahal kita” (I love you), even when speaking became difficult.

Myrna was the last surviving of eight siblings: Aurora Jacobo, Erlinda Dalidi, Hernando Jacobo, Jose Jacobo, Nestor Jacobo, Proceso Jacobo, Ramiro Jacobo, and Romeo Jacobo. She is survived by her husband Albert Sotto, children Al and Theresa Sotto, son-in-law Michael Eaton, grandson Calder Eaton, and many nephews and nieces, including Jessica Jacobo, whom she loved like her own daughter.

The family would like to thank all those who helped care for Myrna in her final months, especially her caregiver Belle Peret and the staff at Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center, Lorien Nursing Home, and Gilchrist.

Visitation for family and friends will be held from 3–5PM and 7–9PM on Friday, April 10 at Sterling-Ashton-Schwab-Witzke Funeral Home of Catonsville, Inc., 1630 Edmondson Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228. A prayer service will take place at 7PM. A memorial mass will be held on Saturday, April 11 at St. Mark Catholic Church, 30 Melvin Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228, with interment immediately following at Meadowridge Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Alzheimer's Association or to St. Mark Church.