Elsa Margarita Alvarado Valbuena de Sankar, known to her grandchildren as “Mi Amor,”, died at the age of 87 on October 20th, 2021 in Austin, Texas, where she had lived for the past three and a half years.
Elsa was born in Caracas, Venezuela on November 28th, 1933, to Dr. Roque de Jesús Alvarado del Mar and María Espíritu Valbuena Porras de Alvarado. In her childhood, she lived in Caracas, Merida and Maracaibo, Venezuela. After graduating from high school, she furthered her studies in Kingston, Jamaica and Washington, DC. Returned to Venezuela, worked for Sun Oil Company where she met and married Rolph Aloysius Sankar Duval, her dancing partner, on August 19th,1961. She lived in Austin from 1961-1965. While in Texas, Elsa was honored with a “Texas Honorary Citizen,” by Governor John Connally. She lived and travelled extensively in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and settled in Maracaibo, Venezuela in 1986. In Maracaibo she was involved and active with many social and charitable organizations as well as volunteering her time to the local hospital. Elsa enjoyed, travel, history and ancient civilizations and had a talent for the arts and crafts. A devoted Catholic, she actively practiced her faith her entire life. She was energetic, adventurous, charismatic and all that met her, loved her generosity and friendship. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and loved spending time with family and friends.
She is survived by her sister, Dolores (Lolita) Alvarado Valbuena of Chile, children, Diana Aparicio(Herman) of Virginia, Rolph Sankar(Alicia) of Texas, grandchildren, Herman Aparicio, Daniel Aparicio, Aidan Sankar and Lourdes Sankar.
A date and time for memorial services to be announced shortly.
