By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
Before the fire that claimed her life, Gloria Ines Suarez had dedicated much of her life to educating others.
Suarez, 55, died in the fire that destroyed a 14-unit apartment building in Colonial Village at Highland Hills off BPW Club Road in Carrboro last week.
Suarez worked as a research assistant at the UNC Medical School’s Program for Integrative Medicine. Kim Faurot, a research coordinator with the program, said Suarez did everything “with such dedication and a cheerful attitude.
“She was a really amazing person.â€
Suarez, a native of Colombia, not only helped set up research studies and monitored data but translated for Spanish-speaking patients as well.
“She was kind of the heart of the program,†Faurot said. “She was behind the scenes in almost everything that we did.
“She very much believed in integrative medicine and also extending medical services to people that otherwise wouldn’t have access.â€
When she wasn’t working, Suarez spent much of her time volunteering. She took a course in diabetes education so that she could teach members of the Latino community about the dangers of the disease.
As part of that teaching, she made meals to demonstrate healthy cooking and proper portion size.
“She was very dedicated to helping Hispanics from all areas,†Faurot said.
Suarez was also very involved with her church, the Chapel of the Cross, and did mission work in Latin American countries.
“We miss her a lot, her intelligence, her dedication,†Faurot said.
She is survived by her son, Juan Arango, who is a student at UNC.
Suarez was the only person who died in the fire. Two women were injured while jumping from their windows to escape the blaze and about 20 residents lost their homes.