Margarita J. Salonia

Beloved sister, mother and grandmother, Margarita, passed away peacefully in her home in La Jolla on September 18, 2012. Born in Argentina's wine region of Mendoza on February 20, 1934, to Giovanni and Emma (Piacenza) Salonia. She was raised in Mendoza and Buenos Aires, where she entered Nursing School. She did not complete her studies and decided to become a dancer, a daring choice at the time. She worked in musical revues in Buenos Aires and traveled to Chile and Brazil with her theater troupe. She fell in love with Rio de Janeiro and the Bossa Nova. There she befriended many actors, writers and musicians and performed in musicals in the theater and the cinema
She married Hector Corral, an Argentinean physician and they lived briefly in New Jersey and New York. They returned to Rio where her only child was born. After their separation, she worked briefly on television and later became a make-up artist at the major TV network in Brazil. After her retirement, she moved to the south of Spain and traveled extensively in Europe. She loved being close to the sea and lived her last years in La Jolla. She was known as Abu by her granddaughter whom she adored.
Margarita leaves her sister, Ana Marta Salonia Nascimento of Mendoza; daughter, Laura Corral; son-in-law, Eurico Lacerda; granddaughter, Antonia of La Jolla; nieces Mariana and Anamaria; and nephews, Fernando, Yuri and Maximiliano.
A memorial service was held at Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church on September 27, 2012.
Margarita was a dreamer, spirited and funny, a loving mother and grandmother and will be forever missed.