Celia Soriano Delgado, lovingly known to many as Cha-Cha, passed away on September 25, 2026, in Manassas, Virginia. She was born on January 2, 1953, in Manhattan, New York, and moved through life with a spirit that was loyal, funny, audacious, resilient, and deeply unforgettable.

Celia was the kind of person who made an entrance and left a story behind. She was known for cracking jokes, teasing those she loved, and keeping people laughing with her sharp wit and beautiful smile. She had a generous heart and a way of making people feel like they belonged. For many, she was not only family by blood, but family by love. She welcomed others in fully, cared for them deeply, and offered the kind of affection that made people feel they were truly her own. Her life was marked by determination and warmth.

Celia endured many health struggles over the years, but she met them with remarkable strength. Even while carrying pain, she continued making new friends, sharing laughter, and speaking with the candid, spirited voice that was so unmistakably hers.

She is survived by her daughter Sevena Inez Alman and Sevena’s husband, Kenneth Alman; her son Michael Hobson and Michael’s wife, Lisaan Hobson; and her daughter Michele Turman and Michele’s wife, Brianna Turman. She also leaves behind her beloved grandchildren: Kaiden Jackson and Khloe Alman, daughters of Sevena; Hunter Hobson, son of Michael and Lisaan; Alex Delgado and Diamond Jackson, Michele’s children; and her great-grandson Seven Delgado, the son of Alex. Celia is also survived by her sisters Frances Delgado, affectionately known as Chi-Chi, Daisy Blackmon, Catherine "Cathy" Delgado, and Zoraida Pagan; and by her brothers Steve 'Stevie' Delgado, Richard 'Richie' Delgado, Augustine 'Blackie' Delgado, Marcus 'Mark' Delgado, Gilly Delgado, and Marcus 'Tony' Delgado. She also leaves behind many extended loved ones and those she gathered into her life as her own, each carrying memories of her humor, her fierceness, and her love.

She was preceded in death by her father, Marcus Anthony Delgado; her mother, Daisy Delgado; her brother Marcus 'Peachie' Delgado; her sister Carmen 'Sukie' Delgado-Rodriguez; and her nephew Marcus Anthony Delgado.

Those who knew Celia will remember a woman who was impossible to forget: funny and fearless, nurturing and bold, stubborn and tender all at once. She gave people stories they will tell for years, meals they will still taste in memory, and love that made itself known in so many ways. Her family and friends will carry her with them in laughter, in sayings repeated at just the right moment, and in the enduring warmth of having been loved by her. She will be missed dearly and remembered always.