Dr. Myriam Urrutia Eder

Dr. Myriam Urrutia Eder Beloved mother, physician, and world traveler, Myriam Urrutia Eder of Alexandria, Virginia, passed away on August 27th, 2018 surrounded by family at her home after a battle with ovarian cancer. Myriam is survived by her loving husband, Edward Eder, mother, Rosa Urrutia, brothers Alex Urrutia, Raymond Urrutia, and Paul Urrutia, children Samuel Eder, Bettina Schroeder, Daniel Eder, and their spouses Julie Amaon, Matt Schroeder, and Tania Diez-Eder. She is also survived by her beloved grandchildren Parker Schroeder and Oliver Schroeder as well as a large, caring family in Panama. Born in Panama City, Panama, Myriam attended Saint Mary's High School in Alexandria and then George Washington University in the United States. After graduating she returned to Panama to attend medical school, where she met fellow student Edward Eder. They married on February 28th, 1975. Myriam gave birth to son Samuel in 1977 and daughter Bettina in 1979 while practicing medicine in Panama. The young family moved back to Alexandria, Virginia to pursue their medical residencies and fellowships, welcoming Daniel Eder to the family in 1986. Myriam was an esteemed gastroenterologist who built a busy private practice in Northern Virginia and cared for patients at hospitals across the greater DC area. She was devoted to her patients, colleagues and her staff. Myriam served as chairman of the board of Bioethics at Mount Vernon Hospital where she became involved in complex end of life issues that benefited from her knowledge, sensitivity, and deep caring. As a dedicated learner, education was one of Myriam's greatest passions. In addition to her undergraduate and medical degrees, she also earned a Masters in Bioethics at The University of Virginia. Her belief in the pursuit of knowledge is reflected in the scores of degrees earned by those she encouraged and supported both in and out of her family. Her passion for learning was not limited to formal education, motivating her to travel around the world with Edward, family, and good friends. In her life, Myriam visited over 25 countries across 5 continents. She was always capable of the gift of wonder which allowed her to delight in both the miniature and vast in nature. Coupled with her quest for knowledge was a desire to make a difference in the world through her support for the protection of the environment. She valued the time she spent on projects to protect threatened wetlands and loved the friends she encountered along the way. In accordance with her wishes, services will be held at Jefferson Funeral Chapel on September 8th at 1pm. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family asks that donations be made in her name to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. https://events.ovarian.org/nocc/

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Dr. Myriam Urrutia Eder

April 6, 1951 - August 27, 2018