Julio Antonio Sosa
1930 - 2025
Send Flowers
Plant A Tree
Share Julio Antonio Sosa's obituary with others.
Invite friends and family to read the obituary and add memories.
Share Julio Antonio Sosa's obituary with others.
Invite friends and family to read the obituary and add memories.
Julio Antonio Sosa, MD, FACC, distinguished cardiologist, innovator, educator, husband, and father, passed away on October 9, 2025 at the age of 95 with his family by his side in Sonoma, CA.
Born on June 4, 1930, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, Dr. Sosa was the eldest of four siblings. He committed his life to science and medicine, beginning his studies at Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala and then moving to Montreal, Canada to enroll at McGill University, where he completed medical school in 1956 and an internship and junior residency at The Montreal General Hospital. While at McGill, he met his future wife, Nancy Hunter, a student nurse, and they married in 1960. Throughout his life, he remained a most loyal McGill alumnus.
He then pursued three years of internal medicine and cardiology fellowship training at the Cleveland Clinic, working in cardiology under the mentorship of Mason Sones, MD. Together with Dr. Sones, he participated in one of the earliest purposeful human cardiac catheterizations in October 1958, a milestone in invasive cardiology.
After a brief return to McGill as a teaching fellow, Dr. Sosa next joined the faculty at Albany Medical College in Albany, NY, where he rose to the rank of Professor of Medicine and Radiology. He established the invasive cardiology section and later directed the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory that was dedicated to him. He was among the first in New York State to perform balloon angioplasty in 1979 and contributed to advances in catheter systems, angiographic technique, and device innovation, including the Sosa Contrast Delivery System. He was a visionary in so many ways, authoring scientific manuscripts and the book 'Surgical revascularization of the heart: The internal thoracic arteries', together with Drs George Green and Ram Singh. He was an early champion of the internal mammary artery as a live conduit for coronary bypass.
Dr Sosa's passion for medical education led to the founding of the Sosa Academy of Medical Sciences at Albany Medical College, which remains central to faculty development and recognizes excellence, rewards achievement and promotes innovation in the education of health professionals. In recognition of his influence, Albany Medical College endowed the Julio Sosa, MD Chair for the Director of the Sosa Academy with the support of Dr Sosa's collaborator, entrepreneur Phil Morse of NAMIC.
Even after retiring from academic practice, Dr. Sosa continued to care for patients, faithfully serving Greenville, New York, as a primary care physician and cardiologist until age 85. He and his family lived in Delmar, NY for many decades before he moved with his wife to Pittsboro, NC to be near their daughter. Their final move was to Sonoma, CA in 2022, again to be near their daughter.
Throughout his long career, Dr. Sosa was known not only for his pioneering skill and expansive knowledge but also for his unwavering dedication to patients. He often went to extraordinary lengths to ensure their well-being, embodying the very essence of compassionate medicine. As a mentor, he shaped generations of physicians, maintaining warm and lasting relationships with trainees who continued to seek his counsel and friendship from all corners of the globe. Those who knew him remember a brilliant and deeply serious man—studious and erudite—yet also generous, kind, and graced with a gentle humor and humanity that drew people to him. He loved to have 'conversations' and share his knowledge with trainees, colleagues, and co-residents of his retirement community; in Pittsboro, NC, he held weekly medical sessions and helped neighbors navigate the health care system and understand their medical conditions.
Dr. Sosa is survived by his wife, Nancy Sosa, of Sonoma, CA; his daughter Julie Ann Sosa, MD, MA, Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), of whom he was incredibly proud; his daughter-in-law, Sanziana Roman MD of San Francisco, CA; and his brother Fernando Sosa in Guatemala.
A celebration of Dr Sosa's life will be planned. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Dr Sosa's name to the Sosa Academy at Albany Medical College, c/o Albany Medical Center Foundation, 43 New Scotland Avenue, MC-119, Albany, NY 12208, or by visiting http://support.amc.edu/givenow.
Dr Sosa's life was a testament to courage, curiosity, and compassionate care — a legacy that lives on through all those he healed and taught.
Born on June 4, 1930, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, Dr. Sosa was the eldest of four siblings. He committed his life to science and medicine, beginning his studies at Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala and then moving to Montreal, Canada to enroll at McGill University, where he completed medical school in 1956 and an internship and junior residency at The Montreal General Hospital. While at McGill, he met his future wife, Nancy Hunter, a student nurse, and they married in 1960. Throughout his life, he remained a most loyal McGill alumnus.
He then pursued three years of internal medicine and cardiology fellowship training at the Cleveland Clinic, working in cardiology under the mentorship of Mason Sones, MD. Together with Dr. Sones, he participated in one of the earliest purposeful human cardiac catheterizations in October 1958, a milestone in invasive cardiology.
After a brief return to McGill as a teaching fellow, Dr. Sosa next joined the faculty at Albany Medical College in Albany, NY, where he rose to the rank of Professor of Medicine and Radiology. He established the invasive cardiology section and later directed the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory that was dedicated to him. He was among the first in New York State to perform balloon angioplasty in 1979 and contributed to advances in catheter systems, angiographic technique, and device innovation, including the Sosa Contrast Delivery System. He was a visionary in so many ways, authoring scientific manuscripts and the book 'Surgical revascularization of the heart: The internal thoracic arteries', together with Drs George Green and Ram Singh. He was an early champion of the internal mammary artery as a live conduit for coronary bypass.
Dr Sosa's passion for medical education led to the founding of the Sosa Academy of Medical Sciences at Albany Medical College, which remains central to faculty development and recognizes excellence, rewards achievement and promotes innovation in the education of health professionals. In recognition of his influence, Albany Medical College endowed the Julio Sosa, MD Chair for the Director of the Sosa Academy with the support of Dr Sosa's collaborator, entrepreneur Phil Morse of NAMIC.
Even after retiring from academic practice, Dr. Sosa continued to care for patients, faithfully serving Greenville, New York, as a primary care physician and cardiologist until age 85. He and his family lived in Delmar, NY for many decades before he moved with his wife to Pittsboro, NC to be near their daughter. Their final move was to Sonoma, CA in 2022, again to be near their daughter.
Throughout his long career, Dr. Sosa was known not only for his pioneering skill and expansive knowledge but also for his unwavering dedication to patients. He often went to extraordinary lengths to ensure their well-being, embodying the very essence of compassionate medicine. As a mentor, he shaped generations of physicians, maintaining warm and lasting relationships with trainees who continued to seek his counsel and friendship from all corners of the globe. Those who knew him remember a brilliant and deeply serious man—studious and erudite—yet also generous, kind, and graced with a gentle humor and humanity that drew people to him. He loved to have 'conversations' and share his knowledge with trainees, colleagues, and co-residents of his retirement community; in Pittsboro, NC, he held weekly medical sessions and helped neighbors navigate the health care system and understand their medical conditions.
Dr. Sosa is survived by his wife, Nancy Sosa, of Sonoma, CA; his daughter Julie Ann Sosa, MD, MA, Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), of whom he was incredibly proud; his daughter-in-law, Sanziana Roman MD of San Francisco, CA; and his brother Fernando Sosa in Guatemala.
A celebration of Dr Sosa's life will be planned. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Dr Sosa's name to the Sosa Academy at Albany Medical College, c/o Albany Medical Center Foundation, 43 New Scotland Avenue, MC-119, Albany, NY 12208, or by visiting http://support.amc.edu/givenow.
Dr Sosa's life was a testament to courage, curiosity, and compassionate care — a legacy that lives on through all those he healed and taught.
Julio Antonio Sosa's Guestbook
Visits: 242
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors