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(From left) Friends of Sylvia Collins, Frances Rizo and Sylvia Lagos, are presented with a dedication by Dr. Elba Garcia, Dallas County commissioner for District 4, during the unveiling ceremony of the Sylvia Collins Community Room at the Oak Cliff Government Center in Dallas, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026.<\/p>\n
Juan Figueroa\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
For years, Sylvia Collins<\/a> was a fixture of Oak Cliff civic life, spending election seasons outside the Oak Cliff Government Center urging people to vote. Collins, who was killed in the May 28 explosion<\/a> at The Clyde apartments, now has a permanent place inside the building that became so familiar to her.<\/p>\n Dallas County officials, friends and neighbors gathered Tuesday at the government center located at 702\u00a0E. Jefferson Blvd., to dedicate a first-floor conference room as the Sylvia Collins Community Room. Commissioners approved the naming in August, and Tuesday\u2019s ceremony, led by District 4 Commissioner Dr. Elba Garcia during Hispanic Heritage Month, made it official.<\/p>\n Dr. Elba Garcia, Dallas County commissioner for District 4, unveils the Sylvia Collins Community Room at the Oak Cliff Government Center in Dallas, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. Frances Rizo, a longtime community leader and friend of Sylvia Collins, stands next to Garcia.<\/p>\n Juan Figueroa\/The Dallas Morning News People mingle following the unveiling ceremony of the Sylvia Collins Community Room at the Oak Cliff Government Center in Dallas, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026.<\/p>\n Juan Figueroa\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Collins, 79, a longtime Oak Cliff resident and Dallas County Democratic Party precinct chair, was among three people who died in the natural gas-fueled explosion and fire that destroyed The Clyde apartments in the 400 block of East Ninth Street.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Also killed were Marisol P\u00e9rez and her 18-month-old son, Erik P\u00e9rez Sanchez Jr. Multiple people were injured.<\/p>\n Before the explosion, a contractor had been drilling for soil samples near the building. Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to a reported natural gas leak and notified Atmos Energy of a cut line. Federal investigators said the gas line involved had not been identified and marked. The National Transportation Safety Board\u2019s investigation is ongoing.<\/p>\n Collins worked with LULAC, the 23rd Senatorial District Tejano Democrats, Human Rights Dallas and other groups. Friends remembered her raised fist as a signature gesture and described her as someone who consistently drew others into community work.<\/p>\n Related: Oak Cliff mourns neighbors lost in The Clyde apartment explosion<\/a><\/p>\n Dr. Elba Garcia, Dallas County commissioner for District 4, unveils the Sylvia Collins Community Room at the Oak Cliff Government Center in Dallas, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. Frances Rizo, a longtime community leader and friend of Sylvia Collins, stands next to Garcia.<\/p>\n Juan Figueroa\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Garcia, who said she knew Collins for at least 20 years, described her as a link between residents and elected officials, someone without wealth or formal office whose influence came from inspiring people to work toward a common cause.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cShe didn\u2019t have a lot of power. She didn\u2019t have a lot of money, but her power was in bringing people together,\u201d Garcia said.<\/p>\n The lesson Collins left, she added, was simple: \u201cBe there, and more importantly, get involved. Don\u2019t ever let anyone decide for you.\u201d<\/p>\n For Collins\u2019 friend Sylvia Lagos, her absence feels sharpest during election season.<\/p>\n Collins would normally be outside the government center in the sun, urging people to vote. Lagos would bring her coffee and remind her to put on sunscreen.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019d say, \u2018I\u2019m fine,\u2019\u201d Lagos recalled.\u00a0\u201c I feel I\u2019m walking on this journey now, and I miss my friend. But I know she\u2019s walking with me in spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Lagos said Collins likely would have waved off the honor.<\/p>\n \u201cShe probably would say, \u2018It\u2019s not a big deal,\u2019\u201d Lagos said. \u201cShe never was looking for a payback for anything that she did.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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