San Antonio is grieving the death of a longtime\u00a0H-E-B partner, Suhad Laila Hernandez, who became a familiar face to generations of shoppers at a Far West Side store.<\/p>\n
Hernandez, affectionately known by many as “Sue the sample lady,” died on Sept. 16 after spending two decades as an\u00a0H-E-B partner. She was 82 years old, according to her obituary<\/a>. Hernandez worked at the store at Grissom and Tezel roads, where shoppers say her warmth made her a memorable part of the community.<\/p>\n “She was the heart and soul of the HEB on Grissom and Tezel,” Roland Aguirre wrote in a Sept. 17 social media post<\/a>. “She was always so kind to me and the guys from work. May she rest in peace. Angel on Earth.”<\/p>\n ALSO READ:<\/p>\n Former WOAI reporter pushes back after judge calls dress inappropriate<\/a><\/p>\n “She always loved to see the girls come in HEB through the years as they grew up and catch up on how they were doing,” Naomi\u00a0Ponciano added in a Facebook\u00a0post<\/a>. “She was such a kind and wonderful person.”<\/p>\n News of her death prompted an outpouring of affection from customers and former coworkers alike, with H-E-B even setting up a memorial<\/a> for Hernandez inside the store. H-E-B representatives also remembered Hernandez as someone who embodied the company’s culture of caring.<\/p>\n “Our H-E-B family is deeply saddened by Sue’s passing. In her 20 years with H-E-B, she touched the lives of so many Partners and customers,” representatives wrote in a statement to the Express-News.<\/p>\n “While Sue recently retired from the company, she remained someone who was committed to people and her community. Forever a Partner, Sue represented the spirit of\u00a0H-E-B and will be missed by many.”<\/p>\n Her funeral service<\/a> was held Tuesday, Sept. 22.<\/p>\n ALSO READ: Former Spurs coach Gregg Popovich gets married for second time<\/a><\/p>\n Subscribe<\/p>\n There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25\u00a2.<\/a><\/p>\n