Friends and family said she was the mother figure to many and an inspiration to most she knew.
Rita Martinez, a dedicated community organizer and Chicana activist, died Thursday after battling COVID-19 at Pueblo s Parkview Medical Center for 14 days.
She was 65.
Her daughter Neva Martinez Ortega, and sons Tomas and Vicente Martinez Ortega, remembered their mother, who they called an inspiration, Monday during an interview with The Pueblo Chieftain.
“We’ve heard so much from so many people who have thanked us for sharing our mother with them. She was a second mom to so many people since her Boys and Girls Club days, and her work with so many more organizations and movements,” Neva said.