Olga Teresa “Teddy” Valencia, age 69, passed away peacefully with her children by her side on February 18, 2022 after a brave battle with Alzheimer’s .

A daughter to Maria Salcido and Jose Ignacio Valencia, Teddy was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. She graduated from Burges High School and went on to receive both Bachelors and Masters degrees in Education with a focus on Earth Science from the University of Texas at El Paso. Her work in Texas schools awarded her a nomination for Texas Teacher of the Year.

In 1985, Teddy moved with her children to New Hampshire where she taught social studies, Spanish, consumer math, PE and science at Orford/Rivendell Schools for 24 years. She was honored as a runner-up for NH teacher of the year which sent her to NASA’s Space Camp where she trained as an astronaut. Teddy played a lead role in the implementation of The Cross Rivendell Trail. Teddy was also a leader and coach for Odyssey of the Mind, taking several teams to World Finals and receiving numerous awards for her commitment to students and the program.

Teddy later moved to Maine to be near her granddaughters. She was a selfless “Mama Bear” who was their biggest cheerleader in life. Along with teaching at Portland schools, Teddy was passionate about our Earth and collaborated with local organizations to bring eco awareness to students. She was a loving advocate for immigrant students and was a co-leader of Civil Rights teams. Teddy officially retired from teaching in 2019.

Teddy lived life to the fullest and gave all of her heart to family, students and friends. As said by a former student, “To know Teddy is to love Teddy.”

Teddy is predeceased by her parents, Jose and Maria Valencia. She is survived by her daughter, Anais Aguirre; her son, David Aguirre and his wife, Jennifer; her granddaughters, Justice, Lily, Jasmine, Juliana and Brooke, all of Westbrook; her sister Stella Gonzalez and her husband, Joe of Texas with their 4 children Renee, Vanessa, Mark and Adrian; and several grand-nieces and nephews. She also leaves many friends who will always be “family”.

A celebration of life will be held in June. In lieu of flowers or gifts, please consider a tribute donation to the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of Teddy Valencia at act.alz.org

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/olga-valencia/obituary/

Copy