Buena was born in Barranquilla, Colombia in 1936, to parents Rafael and Maria, with siblings Jorge, Olga, Carmiña, Ana, Beatriz, Maria Paulina, Marlene, Albena, and Zenith. She was blessed with three children of her own, Norberto, Maria, and the late Rafael. She would later come to reside in the US in 1968 where she worked until she could bring her mother and sisters here and also would later have Maria and Norberto join her shortly thereafter. Between Maria and Norberto, Buena would become a grandmother to Angelica, Luis, Moises, Emanuel, Keli, and great grandmother to Tyler, Anissa, KaMaya, and Isabel.
She was a devoted mother, which extended far beyond her family, known to many through her years at work as “Mama” she was known to treat everyone around her with the same compassion that she would give to family. She would treat the high-level employees with the same dignity and respect as the custodial staff, a woman of integrity, warmth, and understanding.
At the core of everything she was known for was an unwavering love for her family. Everything she ever did or planned to do was for everyone in her family to thrive and flourish. She had great aspirations for them all and got to see many of her family’s aspirations come to fruition in her time with us, many times being the guiding hand along the way.
A matriarch in every sense of the word, who came to this country, and never allowed herself to be backed into a corner regardless of the circumstance. Someone who never forgot her roots and assured them they extended to the furthest branches in the family tree that she cultivated. Who exemplified the work ethic that we all carry with us to this very day. We are all so incredibly blessed that she touched each and every one of our lives, and will continue to honor her memory each and every single day because of it.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Buena Margarita Borja, please visit our floral store.