Dr. Marta A. Oyhenart

Dr. Marta A. Oyhenart, PhD, 86, passed away peacefully on October 31, leaving a legacy of scholarship, entrepreneurship, and service that bridged continents and generations.
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay on May 5, 1939, Marta dreamed of coming to the United States from an early age. In 1961, she immigrated to Northern Virginia, arriving with her two young sons, Diego and Juan (John), to join her husband, Enrique (Henry)-the first step in a life lived in motion and with purpose.
Having learned English as a student at the Crandon Institute in Montevideo, upon arrival in the U.S. Marta served as a translator with the International American Red Cross in Washington DC – her first opportunity to help and serve those in need. Soon after, Marta and Henry pursued the classic immigrant path of enterprise. In the late 1960s, they opened Rio Plata Imports on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, a small shop with global sensibilities that introduced customers to handcrafted goods and artisanship from Uruguay and across the Americas. As the business expanded to Alexandria and Arlington, Rio Plata became a recognized name in Northern Virginia retail; in 1977 Henry was honored to receive a leadership award from the U.S. Small Business Administration in recognition of his and Marta's combined hard work and entrepreneurial spirit.
Marta's approach to education was equally ambitious. In her forties, she continued her path of life-long learning with a B.A. in Economics from George Mason University and an MBA and PhD in International Business from The George Washington University. She taught finance, business and entrepreneurship at George Washington University and Small Business Management at Northern Virginia Community College. At each stop, she challenged students to think critically, act boldly, and pursue their passions.
Beyond the classroom, Marta applied her expertise to international finance. In the 1990s, she founded the Center for Financial Engineering in Development (CFED), combining academic insight with finance for development and economic growth. To that end, she traveled extensively to work with developing countries in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. She also contributed as an evaluator and advisor in support of growing private capital markets in developing economies, including co authoring a USAID Financial Markets Project evaluation.
Along the way, the family grew-welcoming daughters Lisa and Virginia-and Marta balanced work, study, and motherhood with the same tenacity that defined her life. Those who learned from her-children, students, and colleagues-remember a woman who asked hard questions with a generous spirit; who believed education has no age limit; and who taught that reinvention is a choice available to anyone who wishes to pursue it.
Marta is survived by her children Diego E. Oyhenart (Judy), John M. Oyhenart (Laura), Lisa M. Obregón (Ray), and Virginia M. Grivas-Ford (Britt), nine grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and her sister Rosario Aviles. She was preceded in death by her parents, Olga Fosati Aviles and Manuel Aviles, her husband, Henry J. Oyhenart, and her grandson, Raymond J. Obregón. Services will be held privately. In honor of Marta's commitment to education and economic opportunity for underserved populations, the family welcomes donations to Edu-Futuro, a Northern Virginia-based non-profit organization focused on breaking the cycle of poverty through the power of education: https://edu-futuro.org/.