Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Margarita Maria Barranco Brewer died July 31, 2025, at the age of 84 in Mother Margaret Hall, the nursing facility for the Sisters of Charity. Born on June 6, 1941, she was the daughter of Edelberto and Rosa (Marengo) Barranco in La Chorrera, Panama, and one of four children, having three brothers. She devoted 36 years to religious life as a Sister of Charity.

As a young girl in Panama, Sister Margarita admired the Sisters at her parish school and their dedication to the poor. She attended college and married an American serviceman, becoming the mother of two sons. When the marriage ended in the mid-1970s, she was drawn to retreats and other spiritual opportunities. Her spiritual director introduced her to the life of St. Elizabeth Seton, and through this connection, she met Sisters Noreen Ellison and Jacqueline Riggio, who were ministering in poor rural parishes in Tennessee. In September 1988, with the blessing of her grown sons, Dan and William, Sister Margarita entered the pre-entrance program of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, confident that it was the right time to answer her call to religious life.

From 1991 to 1993, Sister Margarita served as volunteer coordinator for the Catholic Hispanic Community in Cincinnati while earning a bachelor’s degree in Religious Pastoral Studies from the College of Mount St. Joseph. Following graduation in 1993, she ministered as a pastoral associate to Hispanic Catholic communities in the Outer Banks, North Carolina, and Waycross, Georgia, until 1999.

In 2001, Sister Margarita became director of Su Casa Hispanic Ministry Center in Cincinnati, where she established the Hispanic Collaborative to unite social service agencies in supporting the city’s growing Hispanic population. In partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools, she also launched Learning Together, a family literacy program offered through the Early Childhood and Adult Basic and Literacy Education departments. Her leadership and advocacy were recognized in 2002 when the Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs honored her as a “Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan.”

From 2003 to 2011, Sister Margarita worked for Cincinnati Public Schools as educational services coordinator for the Office of Second Language Acquisition. She provided support to students and families speaking more than 70 languages and initiated an annual celebration of Children’s Day, “El Día de los Niños.” Recognizing that a single teacher could not meet the needs of all students, she launched the English as a Second Language Volunteer Tutors Program and the Interpreter Program. By 2010, the program included 70 tutors assisting 300 students.

Sister Margarita often said, “The best way for these students to succeed in this country is through education. You can give them food and shelter, you can give them whatever they need, but what will make them productive citizens in this new environment and culture is their education.” In collaboration with the Northern Kentucky University Latino Institute for Excellence and the Department of Biology, she also helped establish the Fun with Science Camp, an annual, week-long summer event that introduced students to all fields of science through hands-on activities.

In 2006, Sister Margarita was active in the Santa Maria Community Services Bienstar (Wellness) Program, helping Hispanic and Latino families access health care programs. That same year, she received the “Sister Margarita Hope Award” from Santa Maria. In 2013, Santa Maria Community Services was honored with the Make A Difference Award from the English Language Learning Foundation (ELL Foundation), which she helped found. As a founding member and president of the ELL Foundation, she supported English language learners in achieving academic success while preserving their cultural identities, offering educational and cultural programs, events, and college scholarships in the Greater Cincinnati area.

In 2011, Sister Margarita retired from Cincinnati Public Schools, but her ministry supporting immigrant families continued. “I was really happy to be able to have so many opportunities to help ELL families because I know how hard it is to move to another country,” she said. “It takes many willing hearts and hands.”

Sister Margarita received numerous awards recognizing her lifetime of service. In 2009, she received the “Cesar Chavez” Award from Su Casa Hispanic Center; in 2012, the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati honored her as a “Legend in Education” for her transformative impact on students; and in 2015, Northern Kentucky University presented her with “The Lincoln Award” for her support of Hispanic youth. A particularly memorable highlight came in September 2015, when she attended Pope Francis’ address to a Joint Session of Congress as the guest of Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, a fellow volunteer with English language learners.

In retirement, Sister Margarita enjoyed crocheting, photography, cooking, cross-stitching, and playing games. As her health declined, she moved to assisted living and then to nursing care at Mother Margaret Hall.