Martha Margarita Victoria Koenig

Martha ("Lala") Koenig passed away on May 14, 2018, after 93 wonderful years. She was born in Valparaiso, Chile on October 31, 1924, to Juan Garrido and Marta Soza.  She had one younger sister Clara Garrido, and the two were the best of friends throughout their lives.  Martha's parents soon separated and the Garrido family took in the three.  Martha didn't look back on that time as a hardship, being raised by a great-grandmother, grandmother, beloved aunt and mischievous uncles, nearby cousins and more.  She always recalled a life full of activity, music, delicious food and family love.  She was an accomplished ballet dancer and slalom skier. As an adult, Lala worked at the American Institute in Santiago, Chile, where she met and married Gunter Koenig. They moved to the United States in 1960 with two daughters in tow. She taught Spanish at the State Department. Her marriage didn't last and once divorced, her sister and mother, having emigrated to the US, moved into the house where she was raising her daughters. Through her sister, Martha gained a job at DynCorp (then Dynalectron) and remained there for many years, raising her daughters (and welcoming their friends) with much love. In retirement, with much affection still to offer, she worked at the daycare center at WSSC in Laurel, MD, where her grandchildren were. Lala, as named by her grandchildren, loved music, played guitar, used bold colors in her home and dress, and could sew any garment she saw. She was a vibrant, joy-filled person. An extraordinarily loving, generous and kind mother, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, grandmother and friend. Her daughters Claudia and Gabriele, sons-in-law Rick and Derek, and grandchildren Jackson, Niels and Brynn miss her terribly and were blessed to have been a part of her life.  
Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude's Hospital for Children.
An afternoon tea celebrating Martha's lovely spirit will be held on Sunday, June 10, 2018, between 2 pm and 4 pm, at Claudia's home at 4042 Larkspring Row, Ellicott City, Maryland 21042. Please no somber hues as she loved bright, happy colors.
 

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