Jossara Jinaro, known for roles such as Passions' Rae and East Los High's Reina, died of cancer on April 27, according to a post on her Facebook page by her husband, Matt Bogado.
"With great sorrow, I announce the passing of my wife, Jossara Jinaro," Bogado shared along with a family photo. "Jossara bravely fought cancer and came home to be surrounded by family. Jossara was an amazing wife, mother, artist, and friend. She had the most beautiful, kind soul and wouldn't take no for an answer. Even in her last moments, she was still fighting. She is now resting in peace and will be remembered forever. Myself, Liam, and Emrys will miss her so deeply, although we know she is in our hearts and guiding us every step of the way."
Jinaro was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but she grew up in Colombia as the adopted daughter of a diplomat. When her stepfather was held hostage by guerillas, the family moved to the US. When she was just 16, Jinaro left home to chase her dream of becoming an actress, first landing stage roles in Chicago and later finding success in Los Angeles, where her first major role came when Columbia Tri-Star cast her to play Virginia Bustos in the sitcom iViva Vegas!
Jinaro went on to appear in a variety of television shows like ER, Judging Amy, and Strong Medicine before she took on the role of Passions' Rae in 2006. The actress was nominated for a GLAAD Award for her work as the character, known as Simone's (Cathy Jeneén Doe) first female lover. Sadly, Jinaro's time in Harmony was cut short when Rae was stabbed in the back by the "Peeper" killer just before the character planned to reveal the killer's identity to Luis (Galen Gering).
Following her time on Passions, Jinaro went back to Colombia to work on the telenovela La Bella Ceci y El Imprudente, and then returned to Hollywood for the series East Los High. Her film résumé includes Havoc, 10 Tricks, Fly Boys, Go For It!, Rob Zombie's Devil's Rejects, and Oliver Stone's World Trade Center.
Bogado shares that a public memorial service will be held in the Bay Area. Details will be announced later.
How do you feel about the passing of Jossara Jinaro? What do you remember from her time as Passions' Rae? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
