Karmen Marie Santiago

Karmen Marie Santiago passed away Sunday, November 2nd in Snellville, GA at Piedmont Eastside Medical Center. Our beloved Karmen was born on May 9, 1990 in Atlanta, GA to Barbara and Andres Santiago. She is predeceased by her father, Andres Santiago, Jr. She is survived by her mother, Barbara Santiago, siblings, Starr Booker, Kypria Santiago and her partner Rafael Ruiz, Miguel Santiago and his wife Rachel Sundstrom, nieces and nephews, Winston and Nina Rockefeller, Amari James and Theodore Andres Santiago Sundstrom, and many relatives in New York and Puerto Rico. She also leaves behind a plethora of friends she remained close with since childhood.
Karmen graduated from Georgia Southern University in 2013 with bachelor's in writing and linguistics. She would go on to establish a meaningful career in teaching, beginning her experience with Hands on Atlanta, a non-profit working with some of Atlanta Public's most critically impacted schools. In 2016, she pursued an international opportunity in Wuxi, China to teach elementary grades at an English immersion school for Chinese and Korean students. After 2 years, she pursued an opportunity to move to Shanghai and teach 12th grade, Advanced Placement American Literature for English speaking students. Karmen was the first person in her family to live abroad. For four years, she would work with students across all age groups, imparting knowledge and the love of writing to all she engaged. She took advantage of her time in China, exploring new cultures and experiencing the beautiful landscapes of southeast Asia, traveling to the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. In 2020, Karmen returned back home to her mother in Stone Mountain, GA, where she lived out her remaining years reconnecting with family.
A viewing will be held Saturday, November 15 from 4-6pm at Tom M. Wages Snellville Chapel, followed by the funeral service at 6pm in the same location.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to help cover funeral expenses. Contributions can be made via the GoFundMe page below: https://www.gofundme.com/f/assist-with-karmen-santiagos-funeral-costs
The Santiago family thanks you for your love, prayers, and support during this difficult time.
Condolences may be sent or viewed at www.wagesfuneralhome.com. Tom M. Wages Funeral Service, A Heritage Company, 3705 Highway 78 West, Snellville, GA 30039 (770-979-3200) has been entrusted with the arrangements. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Karmen, please visit our floral store.