Vanessa Mukhtar Vergara, age 40, unexpectedly passed away on January 1,2026 leaving behind a legacy of profound love and cherished memories. Born on December 16, 1985, in Manatí, Puerto Rico, she was the beloved daughter of Madelin Mendez Rodriguez and Manuel Vergara Junior.
Vanessa was a woman of rare and radiant beauty, but those who knew her best knew that her true light shined from within. She was a Breast Cancer survivor. She was not only strong, she also possessed a soul of deep empathy, moving through the world with a heart wide open to everyone she met. To know Vanessa was to feel truly seen; she had a natural gift for sensing the needs of others and offering a kindness that was as genuine as it was selfless.
This warmth extended into her professional life, where she viewed her coworkers not just as colleagues, but as a second family. She poured her heart into her work, leaving behind a team that she loved dearly and who loved her fiercely in return.
Vanessa’s greatest joy was her family. She is survived by her loving husband, Osama (Sam) Mukhtar, and her precious daughter, Gianna Carmen Guerra, who was the light of her life. She is also survived by her mother, Madelin Mendez; her stepfather, Wilfredo Mendez, who helped raise her; and her brother and sister-in-law, Hector and Stephanie Rodriguez. She was the proud aunt to her niece, Alexandra, and her nephews, Hector, Nicholas, Aiden and Joshua.
She will be deeply missed by her mothers-in-law , Eva Guerra and Shafqat Khalid; her fathers-in-law, Ricardo Guerra and Muhammad Khalid Chaudhry; and her sister-in-law, Annie Khalid. Vanessa also leaves behind a large, loving extended family, including her aunts Alma Sico, Mariela Pagan, Ruthy Rosado, Lucy Velez, and Lourdes Vergara.
Her memory will be cherished by her many cousins: Jennifer Lockhart, Michael Sico, Faterrah Harding, Mary Ellen Soto, Miriam Velez, Keila, Keriz, Kiamariz Rosado, Edwin Reyes, Claudia Roseler, Teresa, Wilma, and Lourdes Rodriguez, and many, many more dear cousins and friends.
Vanessa was a proud and dedicated sister of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc., belonging to the Mu Chapter at Ramapo College. She truly embodied the sorority’s cherished motto, “The love, the ladies, the legacy,” carrying the bonds of sisterhood and the spirit of universal womanhood with her throughout her life. Her sisters remember her as a vibrant part of their history and a lasting part of their legacy.
Vanessa’s vibrant spirit and empathetic heart will leave a void that can only be filled by the many lives she touched with her grace.