Scroll the Internet and tributes to the late Soni Dimond abound. Her death last January was not only reported by local news outlets but also by news stations and industry publications across the country, all of which hailed her as a groundbreaker who had a passion for living life to its fullest extent.  

It seemed that everyone who asked me what features the magazine had coming up in future issues had a story to tell when I mentioned Soni. Writer Michael C. Upton (Uptown & Down) recalled interviewing her for another publication. “I ran into Soni at an event a few years later and she remembered me and recalled the interview,” he says. “I couldn’t believe how delighted she was to talk to me again.” Martine Cajas, the owner of House of Clarendon, sighed when I mentioned Soni’s name. “I still can’t believe she’s gone,” he said. “She was in here a few days before she became ill and was her usual upbeat self.” Andrew Tran, the owner of The Nail Studio, adored Soni. “She was so happy to learn my business was moving to Manheim Township and would be near where she lived,” he noted of one of his favorite clients. “I miss her so much!” At a dinner party, the mention of the Soni feature prompted a guest to say, “Oh, she was Diane’s friend,” referencing Diane Dayton. Cathy Kornfield, who operates her own PR firm, noted, “It seems everyone in Lancaster has a Soni story. She was a special human being.”  

Soni was a people person. She had a wide circle of friends she adored. The feelings were mutual. One of the participants in the photo shoot, Nancy Tulli, postponed a flight in order to take part. Soni’s husband, Kevin Martorana, admired his wife’s devotion to her friends. “Once you met her, she was like a sister; she was invested 100%,” he says. That devotion was demonstrated in both big and small ways. Kevin smiles and jokingly says Soni helped to keep Hallmark and the Post Office in business. “After she was gone, I found hundreds of greeting cards – for all occasions – that were ready to go,” he shares. 

Those friends were profoundly affected by Soni’s death and continue to mourn her passing. “It was shocking to learn what happened,” says Jill Brown, who authors the column, Life of a Party, in this magazine. “Soni was the picture of health, she wasn’t on any medications.” Kevin agrees with that assessment. “There were no signs of heart issues, no symptoms. Nothing,” he says. 

When Kevin relayed to Jill and other friends that Soni had suffered a cardiac episode and was hospitalized, they rallied and descended upon Lancaster General Hospital. “We talked to her, we read to her, we played her favorite music,” Jill says of their attempts to bring Soni out of a coma. She says those last days with Soni were a blessing of sorts. “It gave us all a chance to grasp what was taking place and say our goodbyes,” she says.  

What a Life!

Sondra Dimond was born in the Harrisburg area and graduated from Cedar Cliff High School. While attending Gettysburg College, she began interning at WHTM (abc27). After graduating, she became a fulltime reporter at the station, eventually becoming the area’s first female news anchor when WHTM added weekend newscasts to its schedule in the ‘70s. 

Soni later moved to WGAL. “That’s where I met her,” says Kevin, who is from Reading and is a graduate of Reading Central Catholic High School and Kutztown State College. In 1983, Kevin was an intern at WGAL. “One day, this whirlwind came into the editing room where I was working and finding it occupied, said, ‘Oh, sorry, I thought this room was empty.’ Then, she was gone!” 

But fate wasn’t finished with Soni and Kevin. Their worlds kept intersecting. Kevin went on to work on WGAL’s PM Magazine. He later set up his own production company. “It was just me, working out of my apartment,” he says. Video was in its infancy. “Corporate video didn’t exist,” says Kevin. “Back then, it was basically for sales and marketing.” Then, Kevin received his first break. A WGAL colleague, Julie Singer, contacted him to report that her father needed a video for his company, Singer Equipment Company, which services the food industry. “She asked if I could do it and, of course, I said yes,” Kevin says, adding, “I must have been out of my mind!” 

That job led to other video assignments across the country and the world for Take One Productions. Soni, meanwhile, returned to Gettysburg College, where she had accepted a PR position. Her career next took her to Washington, D.C., and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). When work took Kevin to D.C., he would call Soni. He recalls one occasion when their schedules crisscrossed. “I called her to say I was in D.C. and asked if she’d like to go out for dinner,” he explains. “She said she was getting ready to head home to her parents in Camp Hill, so I suggested we meet up there. We had dinner at the Marriott and then we went to a place called Rod’s Roadhouse to dance. Soni loved to dance.” 

The two became inseparable. Kevin’s company continued to grow, while Soni moved back to Pennsylvania and took a job with the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry in Harrisburg. 

They were married in 1995. 

Soni then launched her own business, Soni Dimond Media, through which people engaged in the worlds of politics, business and entertainment received her coaching expertise on confidence building, professional interacting and even how to dress for success. One of her clients was Lancaster’s Brad Rutter of Jeopardy fame. 

The mention of the art of dressing brings a smile to Kevin’s face. “Soni loved her clothes,” he says. “I learned early on that a huge amount of our income would be devoted to clothing, not to mention accessories and jewelry. A bedroom at our house that already had two closets in it, was transformed into a closet. I think we had eight closets that were filled with Soni’s clothing.” Soni once told The Journal newspaper (Naples, Florida) that while many people run or play tennis, her idea of sport was playing dress up. 

That Naples, Florida, interview happened as a result of Soni becoming the director of communications with the Naples-based Beasley Broadcast Group. Soni jumped at the opportunity to take it on. Kevin supported her decision, remaining in Lancaster to tend to his own business and their home. Soni, being Soni, jumped in feet first and additionally joined the Press Club of Southwest Florida, soon becoming its president. After four years, she left the position at Beasley and returned to Lancaster. 

Life returned to “normal.” She wrote two books (two editions of Life’s a Pitch) and promoted them. She devoted herself to Soni Dimond Media and supported a wide range of nonprofit organizations (ironically, she emceed the 2024 Heart Ball in York County). MaryAnn Heltshe-Steinhauer, the community relations coordinator for the Library System of Lancaster County, recalls, “Our public libraries greatly benefited by her involvement in promoting their value to the community. When the public libraries in Lancaster County initiated a brand-new business information project, she helped to promote all the resources inside the libraires and the digital resources available to businesses and individuals online.” 

Soni also collaborated on projects with Kevin. The two traveled widely (she celebrated her 50th birthday in Las Vegas). “That’s one thing I’m grateful for,” says Kevin. “We traveled the world. I’m so glad we didn’t wait to do that.” 

Her creative spark never dimmed. “Soni, retire? That wasn’t going to happen,” Kevin reports. Turning 60 made her aware that life was becoming filled with new adventures and she saw it as an opportunity to share experiences and information with her fellow  baby boomers. “Vibrant Living” became her mantra and in 2021, she took her idea of putting it on-air to abc27. “It was well received by management,” Kevin says. 

The four-minute segments that touched on health, travel and other topics of interest to the older generation began airing on the station’s Good Day PA, which is hosted by Amy Kehm and Brett Thackara. Soni fast became a favorite with fans of the show who traveled along with her as she tasted wine, schmoozed with cows, visited senior living communities, interviewed medical professionals and yes, shopped for clothes. She even devised a nickname for herself: Queenager. In announcing Soni’s passing to viewers, an emotional Kehm said, “I’m a better person for meeting Soni and there’s a reason she had the last name that she did because we all want to shine bright like a Soni Dimond.”

Kevin, who has won Emmy and industry awards, was also at the top of his game. Take One Productions is the force behind the Pocono Television Network, a streaming service that acquaints the public with all things Poconos. “It’s been a big success,” says Kevin. Soni played a role in the project by recording weekly updates for events taking place in the region.   

December 27 

The Christmas holiday provided Kevin and Soni with the opportunity to slow down and relax. On the morning of December 27, Soni was preparing to feed their two cats. “She was bent over, talking to and playing with them,” Kevin recalls. “When she stood up, she said, ‘I’m so dizzy.’ Then, she collapsed.” Kevin called 911. He didn’t detect a pulse and started CPR. A police officer arrived, followed by the EMTs. She was transported to Lancaster General Hospital, where the “next 12 days were hell,” says Kevin. 

Her condition was diagnosed as mitral valve prolapse (often referred to as a heart murmur). According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, “the mitral valve separates the two chambers (atrium and ventricle) of the left side of the heart. In mitral valve prolapse, the leaflets of the mitral valve bulge (prolapse) into the left atrium like a parachute during the heart’s contraction. Sometimes mitral valve prolapse causes blood to leak back into the atrium from the ventricle, which is called mitral valve regurgitation. Usually, mitral valve prolapse isn’t life-threatening and doesn’t require treatment or lifestyle changes. But some people may need medications or surgery, especially if the prolapse causes severe regurgitation.” Until that morning, Soni had not displayed any of the usual symptoms, including dizziness and shortness of breath. 

The plan was to replace the valve once Soni emerged from the coma. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Essentially, Soni’s heart and brain had ceased communicating. “The EEG showed there was no brain function,” Kevin reports. 

Kevin was left with having to make a very difficult decision. “It was the hardest and easiest decision I’ve ever had to make,” he says. “We had had conversations about such a situation, and I knew what she would want me to do. But, Soni had been my wife, best friend and colleague for over 30 years…” Soni passed on January 9, 2025. She was 67 years old. 

Moving Forward 

Soni’s funeral was held in Harrisburg on January 17. “It was amazing,” says Kevin. “Three-hundred and fifty people turned out from as far away as Los Angeles, San Francisco, South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio and New York. She would have loved it.” For the service, Kevin created a 28-minute video tribute to Soni (it can be viewed at sonidimond.com).  “To be honest, I don’t even remember doing it,” he says of his state of mind at the time. 

Of course, Kevin had other decisions to make. One of them related to Soni’s vast wardrobe. He contacted Ashley Sheely, who owns Presence Luxury Fashion Boutique in Camp Hill, one of Soni’s favorite shopping destinations. They agreed an estate sale would probably be the most prudent route to take. Ashley agreed to host the sale. As Valentine’s was a favorite holiday of Soni’s, they decided to hold it over that weekend. The event sparked country-wide interest (online). At the store, “People started lining up early in the morning on the first day of the sale,” Kevin notes. 

Kevin is in discussion with the Mid-Atlantic Emmy organization to use the proceeds from the sale to establish a scholarship program in Soni’s name. A similar honor has been announced by the Central PA Conference for Women, which has renamed its lifetime achievement award in Soni’s name, due to her role as a “passionate advocate who mentored women, elevated voices and used every platform she touched to empower others.” 

As for Kevin, the past year has been challenging. “She’s everywhere,” he says. “Being home is not easy because it’s all her. Even working is difficult because she was here in the office so much. Sometimes I feel like she’s just away from home – like when she worked in Florida – and will walk through the door any minute. It’s also been an eye-opening experience. You lose contact with people because they don’t know what to say or they’re afraid they’ll say something wrong. It’s also a reminder of their own mortality. But you know what? I’ll get through it.”    

As for Soni’s friends, they treasure the time they had with her and subscribe to the notion that friendships never die. 

---

Friends Forever

---

Further Reading …