October 2nd, 1939 - July 28th, 2020
With saddened hearts, we announce that Marta Rangel passed away unexpectedly on July 28th, 2020. She was 80 years of age.
Everyone who met Marta remember her for her vivid personality, tremendous zest for life, and love for her family and many friends. She danced, sang and played the piano, attended art exhibitions, musical shows, live concerts and travelled to numerous countries throughout the world. She fostered many friendships and always welcomed guests into her home, especially if they knew how to sing or play an instrument!
Marta was born in what was then considered rural Mexico City, and she often reminisced about that simple life. As a young child, her daily routine included feeding the chickens and walking along unpaved roads to fetch water back to the farm. Donkeys, goats and dogs were her companions and she had an affection for her favorite animal all her life, none other than the humble pig!
She always gave credit for her curiosity of the world to her loving father who said to Marta that she could "be and do anything in life if you worked hard enough at it."
As she quickly matured into her early teens, English became her second language and gave her the opportunity to obtain employment to help support her family of five. Her linguistic advantage, along with her secretarial skills, would lead her to experience many things that girls at that time only dreamed about.
Eventually, Marta's wishes came true as she visited friends and sites in countries throughout Europe, Kenya, Cuba, Brazil and other places that fascinated her. Throughout her life she frequently visited Mexico, often with her children in order to share her fierce love of Mexico and its culture.
She met her first husband Andrew Sobozinsky at a language school in Mexico City and after their marriage, they moved to Hartford, Connecticut where their first child Isabel was born, and more than a year later, they moved to San Francisco where their son Andy was born. Marta met her second husband Warren Wong while singing at his bar, the China Doll, and their son named Eric was born in 1969. After her second marriage, she fulfilled her dream of living in Egypt for a year and showed her son Eric many of the places she had read about as a child. She met her third husband Guido Carli who was a musician that filled their home with Brazilian music during their 5 years of marriage.
During this period in her life, Marta acquired her BA and Master's degrees from San Francisco State University and devoted her career to Social Work as a Public Health Administrator for the City of San Francisco. She was among a dedicated group of educated women who entered into the workforce as professionals in the early 1970's who, according to Marta, changed the landscape of public healthcare for many underprivileged people. She fought for much needed funds in the poorest neighborhoods when city budgets were threatening to close her clinics. She often said that this was her proudest achievement, aside from raising her three children. Marta also found time to work for Robert Kennedy's Presidential campaign, marched in the streets for labor leader Cesar Chavez and volunteered her time at the Community Music Center in the Mission District. For many years after her retirement, she loved to visit Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, attended Flamenco dance classes and continued to be a patron of the arts, including the San Francisco Ballet, SF Jazz Center and San Francisco Opera.
She enjoyed a life that that was well-lived and was very proud of her Mexican heritage, which she shared with anyone who had a moment to listen to her extraordinary story. Marta is survived by her three siblings Mario & Paco Rangel, Yolanda Campos, her daughter Isabel Sobozinsky-Wall and husband Scott Wall, son Andy Sobozinsky and his partner Barbara Bensing, son Eric Wong and his wife Gillian Wright, and three grandchildren Diego, Mazie & Pilar Wong.
A celebration of Marta's life will be announced at a later time. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Marta's memory to the Community Music Center of San Francisco.
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