Mrs. Cedeño was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico in 1921 and was raised in New York City. The second of nine children, she found quiet and solitude in books and her studies. She realized early the value of education and worked her way through the New York City school system and Hunter College. In 1943 she married Adrian Cedeño and accompanied him to Mississippi when he served in the Air Force during World War II. After the war they returned to New York City where they raised two children, Arleen and Douglas.
At a time when most women stayed home, Blanca was ambitious. She began working for the New York City Housing Authority in 1952 and worked her way through various leadership positions in the Intergroup Relations Division and the Office of Community Affairs. In 1978, New York City mayor Ed Koch appointed her to the Board of Directors of the Housing Authority, where she served for ten years. As one of three Commissioners, she was responsible for the Authority’s policy decisions affecting the wellbeing and housing of 190,000 families.
Blanca’s career was marked by significant awards and achievement. In 1976 she received the New York City Public Service award for Professional Achievement. In 1978 President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Building Sciences, where she served until 1983. In April of 1984 she was elected to the Hunter College Hall of Fame, and later that year was inducted into the YWCA’s Academy of Women Achievers.
In addition to her work for the CIty of New York and the Housing Authority, Blanca was an ardent advocate for the rights of the city’s Puerto Rican youth. She was the chair of the board of trustees at Boricua College, the first university for Puerto Rican students. After discovering systematic discrimination in the New York School system that further disadvantaged Puerto Rican youth, she helped bring forth a class-action lawsuit to ensure fair treatment. Blanca also helped found ASPIRA and the National Puerto Rican Forum, organizations charged with creating educational and leadership opportunities for Puerto Rican youth.
She leaves behind her beloved husband of 72 years, Adrian Cedeño, her daughter Dr. Arleen Cedeño Schreiner, son Dr. Douglas Cedeño, daughter-in-law Adrienne Cedeño, grandchildren Dorienne and Jeffrey Cedeño, great-grandchildren Sophia and Leonardo DeSanto, as well as her devoted sister Patti Christian, sisters Vivian Gentry and Sonia Rodriguez, brother Ferdinand Gil de Rubio, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Blanca was predeceased by her brothers Tony, Ray, and Manny and her sister Margaret.
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