Elvira R. Quiñones

Elvira R. “Vera” Quiñones passed away peacefully on October 18, 2013. Elvira was born in San Antonio, Tx on June 2, 1927 to the late Porfirio B. Rios and Paulina Dominguez Rios. She married the late Mario Quinones Sr in 1946 and moved to Houston in 1951. She is preceded in death by her husband, Mario Quiñones, her daughter Sylvia Quiñones Santos, her parents, and seven of her siblings. Vera was an active member of her community and church. She held many positions throughout her life: Girl Scout Leader, President of the Young at Heart Seniors Group at St Alphonsus Catholic Church, and member of the Manchester Civic Club. She was also actively involved with Volunteers in Public Schools with HISD, serving as President of the PTO at John R. Harris Elementary. She, as well as others, fought to ensure that Houston’s East End schools were adequately managed and maintained. During the school desegregation process in Houston she worked alongside her husband and other members of the community to ensure fairness in the integration process and the result of those efforts was the introduction of the Magnet School Program in HISD. Left to cherish Vera’s memory are her remaining children; daughter Elvira “Cookie” Reyna and husband Larry T; daughter Norma Q. Reyna and husband Cris; daughter Velma Quinones; son Mario Jr. and wife Norma; 10 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. Other surviving members of her family include her brother Tom and sisters Virginia, Dolores, and Olivia. Family will receive friends Monday, Oct 21st at 4:00 pm, and Tuesday, Oct 22nd at 9:00 am. Rosary and Eulogy on Tuesday at 7:00 pm, all at Forest Park Lawndale. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday Oct. 23rd at 10:00 am at the Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral in downtown Houston. Interment will follow at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery.