Syd was the eighth child born to Merlene and Molino Sotillo in San Juan, Trinidad. He attended Chinapoo Gov't School in Morvant. He immigrated to the USA in 1995, where he continued his education in IS 8. He graduated in Hillcrest High School. Syd loved education so much that he studied Law and Medicine. At the time of his passing, he was completing his B.A. in Business Administration at Interborough.

Syd's first position upon arriving in the United States was at McDonald Co as a Manager. He decided to leave McDonald's and moved on to greener pastures, as he wanted to be his own boss. He started his own company called the "Fortune Millionaire". He provides Pre-paid Legal services and assisted Not-for-profit organizations and small businesses with grants, proposals, business plans, and other projects. 

Syd's was born with Sickle Cell Anemia. Sickle Cell disease is a genetic or inherited disease that affects the lives of individuals in our community and around the world. In the United States, SCD is most common in African-Americans and in those of Hispanic, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern ancestry. As for newborn American infants, SCD occurs in approximately 1 in 300 African Americans, 1 in 36,000 Hispanics, and 1 in 80,000 Caucasians. More than 2,500,000 Americans, mostly African-Americans, have the Sickle Cell trait. It is a debilitating disease that causes serious life-threatening health complications such as infections, seizures, strokes, and unpredictable intense episodes of pain due to the body's limited capacity to carry oxygen to vital organs of the body.

As an adult, Syd assisted his mother, Mrs. Merlene Smith-Sotillo, in starting her business, called The Sickle Cell Awareness Foundation Corporation International (SCAFCI). Mrs. Smith-Sotillo was inspired by her own children to establish SCAFCI, as two, Syd and Cathyann, suffer from Sickle Cell Anemia. Motivated by the involvement that she has had in their lives, as they have touched her in many ways with their courage, she established the foundation in order to help others to successfully deal with the illness and to help strengthen public awareness of Sickle Cell Anemia, and the impact that it has on the people whose lives that it touches. She feels grateful to be able to educate people about the effects of sickle cell anemia and to make sure that people know how to properly take care of their health.
The foundation that has assisted many children and families with Sickle Cell has now lost their heart; Syd; although still in the midst of their lost, Mr. & Mrs. Molino Sotillo has promised to continue their work in the community and to teach other families whom members suffer from Sickle Cell Anemia how to live a full-filling life with the disease. 
 

Syd's life goal was to help others and would give the last shirt off his back. He was health-conscious and a very kind, caring, and giving individual. Syd was also a fashionable dresser, always well-groomed and always matching.  Syd would not even put out the garbage if he wasn't appropriately dressing, because he had to be well-groomed.

Syd also had a very sarcastic sense of humor and if we had one word to sum him up; we would say that he was an entertainer, because he cracked jokes about his family and himself. He was great at turning a sad moment into a funny situation.