Mayra Marte-Miraz

Mayra Marte-Miraz, of Pomona, New York, passed away on November 20, 2025, at the age of 57 after a courageous battle with lung cancer. Mayra was born on September 30, 1968, in New York City, NY.

Mayra dedicated her life to both family and career, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, compassion, leadership, and service.

Mayra was a loving and devoted wife to Alberto, her husband of 33 years, and proud mother to Zachary and Joshua. Together as the “core four,” the Miraz Family spent many years vacationing, going to sporting events, riding bikes together (Mayra loved her e-bike), and watching American Idol together. An avid baseball fan, she cheered tirelessly for her sons in every sport they played, braving heat, rain, and cold weather to never miss a game. On chilly days, she armed herself with plenty of Hot Hands, embodying the greatest cheerleader a child could want.

Mayra spent her free time being a friend, talented baker, and incredible host. She never forgot a birthday, anniversary, or special day and always made sure to bring a treat to memorialize the day.  Mayra consistently delighted friends and family with birthday cakes made from scratch and decorated with love (and a theme, of course). She was a lover of traditions and holidays, with Thanksgiving and Christmas holding a special place in her heart as two of her favorite holidays.

Professionally, Mayra served as Vice Chair for People and Strategy and Senior Director in the Department of Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. In this role, she supported critical functions including human resources, finance, payroll, facilities, information technology, compliance, and strategic planning for a department of nearly 4,000 employees across 14 divisions and centers.

Among her many achievements, two stand out as defining her career: 

• Her role in the creation of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative within the Department of Medicine, which quickly became an integral part of the department’s framework and mission.

• Her leadership in guiding process improvement projects and mentoring recruits, many of which became formal policies at the medical center. She took great pride in seeing her team’s work shape institutional practices and in watching the many talented individuals she helped onboard succeed in their roles.

Mayra was a strong, powerful woman who supported many and encouraged others to focus on education, kindness, compassion, and putting others first. She also was a passionate and tireless advocate for lung cancer awareness, research, and patient support, using her voice and experience to drive change on both personal and national levels. Diagnosed with stage 4 BRAF-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

despite being a healthy non-smoker, Mayra transformed her journey into a mission of advocacy and education. She was actively involved with leading organizations including LiveLung, LUNGevity, the Lung Cancer Research Foundation, and the American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE, where she served as a New York Lung Cancer Hero.Through these platforms, she championed early detection, biomarker testing, and equitable access to care. Mayra participated in LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day, meeting with U.S. Senators and House Representatives to advocate for the protection of Medicaid, the CDC, and NIH funding, ensuring that critical resources remained available for lung cancer patients nationwide.

She also shared her story in national media, including a WPIX New York Living interview (https://shorturl.at/in5vk), and lent her voice

to the COR2ED “Patient Perspective” series (https://tinyurl.com/bthrbvm2), where she offered insight and encouragement to others living with rare alterations of NSCLC. Her advocacy was rooted in a deep belief in science, community, and hope—values she carried into every conversation, every walk, and every legislative meeting.

She was preceded in death by her beloved father Emilio Marte. 

She is survived by her husband, Alberto Miraz her sons, Zachary Miraz and spouse Christabelle, and Joshua Miraz; her mother, Aida “Nelly” Marte; her grandmother, Aida “Biti” Medina; her brother Abner Marte, sister in-law Christine Marte, and their children Abner, Leena, and Joya; her sister Ilka Marte, niece Arianna, and her son Finn; her niece Lynette Gonzalez, husband Luis, and their children Layla and Lana; Rubi Marte and her children Jayce and Zoe; and her aunt Blanca Guzman and her children Agnes and Nelson.

A visitation will be held at Michael J. Higgins Funeral Service Inc., located at 321 South Main Street, New City, NY 10956, on November 25, 2025, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

The funeral service will take place at the same venue on November 25, 2025, from 6:00pm to 7:00 pm.

Burial will be conducted at Kensico Cemetery, located at 273 Lakeview Ave., Valhalla, NY 10595, on November 26, 2025, from 11:15 am to 12:00 pm.

On January 6th, 2026, a celebration of life service will be held at Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10027, at 6:00 pm. The family is requesting flowers be sent for Tuesday viewing on November 25th (Bassett Flowers 845-634-3638), or donations be made in Mayra Marte-Miraz’s name at the web link below.

https://www.livelung.org/give

Mayra’s legacy of kindness, leadership, mentorship, and tradition will continue to inspire all who had the privilege of knowing her.