Dr. Aida R. Soto, Ph.D.

September 3, 1931—August 30, 2025

Dr. Aida R. Soto, Ph.D., passed away peacefully in her sleep on the

morning of Saturday, August 30, 2025.

She was a remarkable and pioneering woman in her field and was a loving aunt to her nephews Rick and Albert Hermida (deceased), her grandnephews Chris, Albert Jospeh, John Paul, Ricky and her

grandniece, Aurora Marina Hermida. She was predeceased by her

sisters Marina Hermida and Maria Josefa Soto.

Aida fled her native Cuba in 1960 and arrived in the United States in

1960 with nothing but a dime in her purse, the address and phone

number of a family friend who had promised her free room and board, and, most importantly, an acceptance letter to the University of Miami’s chemistry program.

In 1966, Aida, who was a Robert E. Maytag Fellow in chemistry at

U.M., wrote her doctoral thesis on “base promoted reactions of

sulfonate esters in dipolar aprotic solvents” and graduated from UM with a Ph.D. in biochemistry — the first woman ever to do so.

Aida soon embarked on a 30-year career with Baxter Travenol

Laboratories. At Baxter, Aida led the team that developed the Stratus immunoassay automated system, enabling healthcare professionals to quickly determine cardiac markers like Troponin I, CK-MB, and hCG.

Aida was a life-long member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASMBMB). She was published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry, the Journal of Organic Chemistry, the Journal of Environmental Research, and Tetrahedron Letters (U.K.), among others.

Aida loved to read mysteries, loved to cook, loved to travel, and loved to dote on her grandnephews and grandniece who knew her as “Tata Aida.” She will be sorely missed.

A viewing is scheduled for Thursday, October 23 between 5:00 p.m.

and 10:00 p.m. at Caballero Rivero Westchester, 8200 Bird Road. A

mass is scheduled for Friday, October 24, at 11:30 a.m. at the Church of the Little Flower, 2711 Indian Mound Trail, Coral Gables.