Luz Marina Zuluaga, Colombian beauty queen, Died at 77

Luz Marina Zuluaga Zuluaga was born on October 31, 1938, and died on December 2, 2015.

Luz was a Colombian director and beauty queen who won Miss Universe 1958.

She was the first Colombian woman to win the Miss Universe pageant, and the only Miss Colombia to win until 56 years later, when Paulina Vega became Miss Universe 2014.

Luz Zuluaga was born in Pereira.

She moved to Manizales, (Department of Caldas) as a small child and grew up there.

Luz applied for the Miss Caldas contest, and she won in 1957.

Luz went on with her training towards the Miss Colombia contest and arrived in Cartagena, hoping to win the Miss Colombia title.

Pereira is part of the Caldas department.

Risaralda was made a department in 1966 some years after her election.

She was Miss Pereira, Miss Caldas, Miss Colombia and then Miss Universe.

After years outside the spotlight, Luz made headlines again when she married a medical doctor and moved to the United States.

In 1966, Luz returned to Manizales and became involved with the city council as well as with the state's institute of tourism, of which she eventually became director.

Luz has three sons and a daughter.

She passed away on December 2, 2015 at the age of 77 at her home in Manizales.