Sophia S Valimaki

Funeral service for Sophia Sylvia Valimaki, 63, of Aurora, will be 10:30am Friday at Community United Church of Christ in Biwabik with Pastor Paul Van Antwerp officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at a later date in the Lakeside Cemetery in Biwabik. She died Monday, February 16, 2015 at Essentia Health – St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth, MN. Sophia was born June 2, 1951 in Scotts Bluff, Nebraska to Ramon and Ofelia (Sanchez) Carmona. In the early 1990’s Sophia began working as a chef at the Scottsdale Princess Resort. There she met Gary Valimaki and the two were married on December 12, 1992 in Mesa, Arizona. She continued working there until 1999, when they moved to Aurora. Sophia was an active member of Community United Church of Christ and was on its church council and women’s fellowship. She was also a volunteer for the Weinachts Festival Committee. Survivors include her husband, Gary; daughter, Sara (Ernest) Apolinar of San Antonio, TX; father, Ramon Carmona; siblings: Rosa Schmidt, Estella Garcia, Mary Turner, Francesca Moreno, Raymond Carmona, Mike Carmona all of Denver, CO and Don Pena` of Detroit, Mich; three grandchildren: Jose`, Terrence and Maya. She is preceded in death by her mother, Ofelia; son, Michael; twin sister, Cecilia.