A hero, beloved friend': Community celebrates the legacy of Sister Margarita Brewer
She was a beloved friend, a hero, an extraordinary leader, say those who met her.
These are just a few of the many kind words friends and family have used to describe Sister Margarita Maria Barranco Brewer, a cherished member of the Hispanic community who died on July 31 at 84 years old.
Having moved to the United States from her native country of Panama at 22 years old, Brewer devoted the rest of her life to helping immigrants adjust to life in the U.S. and to learn English, just as she once did.
Brewer spent her time working for many philanthropic organizations, including the Su Casa Hispanic Ministry Center. She also worked for the Office of Second Language Acquisition, at Cincinnati Public Schools, to help students who are English language learners be academically successful.
Brewer was known as a leader in fostering and strengthening Greater Cincinnati’s Latino community, founding the English Language Learning Foundation Inc. in 2003 after retiring from Cincinnati Public Schools.
Rosa Maria Moreno, the foundation's board vice president, was a friend and coworker of Brewer for over 20 years, seeing her generous and unwavering efforts first-hand.
"She was very gregarious. There was no one that, you know, probably didn't like her," Moreno said. "She was always very friendly, very happy, always doing something."