Maria Zameli Obituary

The family of Maria A. Zameli sadly announces that on Friday, September 8, 2023, Maria passed away at NYP Columbia Hospital in NYC. Maria is survived by her devoted husband Ayman, her cherished daughter Amalia, her beloved sister Telma, brother in law Christopher and nephew Sebastian, as well as her extended family. Maria grew up on Long Island where she attended Sacred Heart Academy and later Barnard College. Maria began her career as an importer of wedding and children's apparel from Spain. This early endeavor showcased her exquisite taste and her entrepreneurial spirit. In 1997, she relaunched her career by joining Lehman Brothers (later Barclays Bank) as part of the Emerging Markets Fixed Income sales team where she remained for nearly 17 years. In 2009, she was promoted to be the head of the Emerging Markets Fixed Income team. Her colleagues and clients described her as an outstanding leader and a strong advocate for young professional women. In 2009, Maria was nominated for the Barclays Woman of the Year award where she was one of 14 finalists globally out of over 400 candidates. She left banking in 2013 and chose to spend her time taking care of her precious daughter Amalia. She was a highly active member in the community for Amalia's school. She served as class parent at The Brick Church School as well as The Chapin School. In addition, Maria served on the board of The Chapin School Parent Association as Treasurer. Maria was a passionate philanthropist supporting several organizations including her significant contributions to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. In 2018 and 2019, she co-chaired the Heritage Gala for St Jude hitting the $1 million fundraising milestone. Beyond her personal and professional accomplishments, Maria's true brilliance was in the way she connected with people. Her infectious zest for life was contagious and her compassion knew no bounds. She always extended her hand to anyone in need, always willing to go the extra mile. Maria touched countless lives through her tremendous generosity of spirit and action. She was a force of nature who never accepted less than the best. In February 2021, Maria underwent a double lung transplant surgery at Columbia Hospital. Post transplant, Maria became a huge advocate of the lung transplant program at Columbia where she spoke at several events and functions in support of the program. A wake will be held at Frank E. Campbell - The Funeral Chapel on Friday September 15, 2023, from 2:00pm-5:00pm and 6:00pm-8:00pm. Church services will be held at Church of St. Ignatius Loyola on Saturday, September 16, 2023, at 10:00am followed by a private interment ceremony of her remains at Ferncliff Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to The Selim Arcasoy Lung Transplant Fellowship Fund at Columbia Hospital: https://medicine. givenow. columbia. edu/?alloc=33646# Maria's departure leaves a void that cannot be filled, but her spirit lives on in the lives she touched. May her memory be a source of comfort and inspiration to all who knew her.