Cecilia Bentancourt

CECILIA BETANCOURT (1931-2024)
Cecilia Betancourt was the heart and soul of her family. Always kind to everybody she met, people loved her. It was very apparent to all who met her that Cecilia was very unique. She is truly loved and surely missed!
Born in small-town Colombia, Cecilia often spoke of a happy life with family and friends. Her father was a fun-loving carpenter and electrician, retiring as the chief electrician at a Medellin brewery, and her beloved mother was the center of their family, albeit with a firm hand. The 3rd of 7 children, Cecilia was admired for her strong character and nicknamed "Ingrid Bergman" due to her resemblance to the legendary "Casablanca" actress. She trained as a corporate secretary in the 1950s and worked for a large textile manufacturer in Medellin.
She was so pretty, in fact, that her future husband, William, was instantly smitten when they met in 1956 during a festival in his village. Cecilia later remarked that she first noticed William's quiet nature but was also struck by his gentle, loving gaze. They began dating but William moved to Michigan on a residency visa when sponsored by his brother to train and work as a product designer for General Motors. They wrote love letters and visited over the next several years but their future together was uncertain.
In 1966, Cecilia bravely immigrated on a residency visa to Queens, New York, and worked as an executive secretary for Best & Company. The job did not last long because William, living in Royal Oak, Michigan, promptly called her, drove to New York City, brought her to Michigan and married her! Together, they raised 2 sons and doted on their 4 grandchildren. Cecilia loved cooking, baking, gardening, vintage cinema and classical music. She also loved to travel, having visited most US states, Canadian provinces, South American countries and European capitals. A devout Catholic, she regularly attended mass at St Anastasia in Troy and St Mary of the Hills in Rochester Hills.
Cecilia loved on all of her family, always sending them home with bunuelos, pan de queso or empanadas. She taught them to make several Colombian recipes yet they were all left with the awareness that their versions would never compare to hers. Her family loved Cecilia's holiday gifts because she always added their favorite snacks or something very practical like hand sanitizer or moisturizing lotion. In her cute, accented English, she ended every phone call to her family with "I love you very much, please give my hugs and kisses to everyone."
Cecilia lived an amazing life yet we would have enjoyed a bit more time with her. Please keep her family and friends in your thoughts, then go hug the special people in your life and tell them you love them.