Alexandria Colón

Alexandria Colón, born in New York City on December 3, 1929, to Catalina Ortega and Pedro Nieves, passed away on August 8, 2026, at the age of ninety-six, surrounded by her family. She lost her mother at a very young age, and she and her brother were raised by their father in New York City.

After living in New York City, she moved to Queens, where she took Urban Studies classes at a community college. In 2008, she moved to Lake County, Florida.

She worked at Metropolitan Hospital in Spanish Harlem, New York City, as an Office Associate and registrar in Obstetrics. There, she became a strong, committed patient advocate, and many patients named their daughters Alexandria, a testament to her counseling and dedication.

At age 51, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and treated for it. This experience raised questions, as a Hispanic woman and health care worker, about why there was so little research at the time on breast cancer, treatment approaches, education, outreach, and support, particularly for women of Spanish-speaking backgrounds.

She began attending SHARE cancer support groups and, in 1992, pioneered the Latina SHARE program, representing SHARE at community events and outreach. She was recognized by Bellevue Hospital Center as its first Patient Navigator and by the State of New York. In 1998, she became an Advocacy Leader and lobbied in Washington, D.C. She was honored by several organizations and the Puerto Rican community for her contributions to SHARE. After moving to Florida, she remained active in counseling and supporting cancer survivors.

She loved her family, Shakespeare, poetry, her heritage, and Latin music. She loved to dance!

Alexandria is survived by her husband of seventy-six years, Miguel; her daughter, Mercedes, and her husband, Bill; her son, Michael; her niece and nephews; several godchildren; and friends and their children who became family over the years. They turned to her for love, mentoring, advice, comfort, and encouragement, and she loved them unconditionally. Her love, wisdom, and strength shaped everyone around her.

She was a gift, and she will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. Her smile could brighten your day; her passion, love for people, strong faith, and enduring spirit will always be remembered. Her light will continue to shine in every life she touched.

If you would like to send flowers for the service, please be advised that the funeral home doesn't accept standing sprays. In lieu of flowers, you can choose to donate to Dia de la Mujer Latina Inc. at interculturalhealth.org in her memory. Gift donation notifications can be sent to [email protected].