EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — The El Paso community is set to gather Thursday evening to celebrate the life of Antonia “Toñita” Flores Morales, a community advocate who passed away earlier this month at the age of 97.

A lifelong resident and community organizer in Barrio Duranguito, Morales was a beloved symbol of the movement to preserve El Paso’s oldest neighborhood.

Beginning in 2016, she emerged as a powerful voice in the effort to save Duranguito from demolition as the city aimed to build an arena.

She spoke before elected officials and addressed the community’s needs in preserving the neighborhood.

The multipurpose arena was approved by voters in the 2012 Quality of Life bond, but has been challenged in court to decide if sporting events should be allowed and if the construction site is considered historical. In 2023, El Paso City Council members voted to abandon the construction of the arena.

In 2016, Morales refused to move out, leaving her as one of the last residents living in the Union Plaza Neighborhood who had become, to many in the community, a symbol of the past, present, and uncertain future that surrounds the neighborhood.

“This is El Paso. This is the center of El Paso. These are the roots of El Paso, the history of El Paso. Why do they want to destroy it?” Morales previously told KFOX14/CBS4.

Even in her 90s, Morales helped create a community garden beside her home, embodying her vision for a vibrant Duranguito, community members said.

Morales passed away on Oct. 17 at the age of 97, and according to community members, her legacy of courage and compassion has continued to inspire.

Services will be held at Sunset Funeral Home on Oct. 23, with visitation from 5 to 7 p.m., followed by a service at 7 p.m. and a homage from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

A burial will take place on Oct. 24 at Mount Carmel Cemetery at 11:30 a.m., and the community is invited to honor her life and advocacy by attending the services.

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