Maria Cecilia Ruedamontoya

María Cecilia Ruedamontoya, lovingly known as Cecilia, age 91, passed away peacefully after a long battle with dementia on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at Sunrise of Springfield in Virginia. Cecilia was born in Bogotá, Colombia, in 1934 to Laura Maria Montoya Gomez and Miguel Angel Rueda Pardo. She was the older sister of Miguel Ángel Rueda Montoya (Ana) and Guillermo Ignacio Rueda Montoya (Martha). She immigrated to the United States in December 1958 and eventually made her home in Atlanta, Georgia, where she devoted herself to raising her only son, Favio Martinez, Sr. (Christine). A determined and hardworking single mother, Cecilia held a variety of jobs to provide for her family—working as a hospital lab technician, a bank teller, and cleaning homes. Her deep faith, meticulous nature, and unmatched work ethic ultimately led her to a long and meaningful role caring for the Catholic Church of St. Ann in Cobb County, Georgia, where she served for approximately 25 years. After retiring from the church, Cecilia moved to Springfield, Virginia, to be closer to her family. She didn’t know how to cook, but her son never knew it, enjoying home-cooked meals every night. She learned English on her own, taught herself to drive in her 40s, and could often be heard on the sidelines cheering “Go Blue!” as her young son played soccer. Cecilia loved caring for her home, keeping it warm and immaculate. She prayed daily, adored plants and flowers, had a sweet tooth for desserts, enjoyed a cold beer while toasting “Salud, dinero, y amor,” and preferred seeing the sun without feeling its heat. She never ate a sandwich that didn’t fall apart, proved her toughness by holding a plank for nearly four minutes in her 70s, and had a contagious laugh that could brighten any room. She enjoyed traveling and embraced new experiences, visiting Europe and Latin America with her son. In retirement, she stayed active, joining the local YMCA, working out regularly, walking daily at her retirement community, and demonstrating her uncanny ability to iron perfectly for hours without pause. She was a loving grandmother to Favio Jr. and Sidney Martinez, and to Janie, Jennah, Tyler, and Corey Breiten, as well as a great-grandmother to Harmony and Brooklyn West. She is survived by many loving nieces and nephews, as well as their families, and lifelong friends. A gathering will be held at Jefferson Funeral Chapel, 5755 Castlewellan Drive, Alexandria, VA 22315, Thursday, January 15, 2026, 5PM-8:30PM. A funeral mass will be held at the Catholic Church of St. Ann’s in Cobb County, Georgia, at a future date. Instead of flowers, the family requests donations be made in memory of Cecilia Rudamontoya to Marist School's Annual Fund and directed to Tuition Assistance. Checks may be made out to “Marist School” and mailed to 3790 Ashford Dunwoody Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30319. Gifts may also be made online at marist.com/giving. Please write “In memory of Cecilia Rudamontoya” in the memo line or comments section of your gift.

Tributes

Maria Cecilia Ruedamontoya

October 12, 1934 - January 10, 2026