Aurora R Broadway

January 2, 1931 – November 5, 2026

Some people leave behind possessions. Others leave behind accomplishments. Aurora Red Broadway left behind something far more meaningful - a family whose lives, opportunities, and successes were made possible through her love, determination, and countless sacrifices.

Aurora passed away on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at the age of 95, leaving behind a legacy that will endure for generations.

Born on January 2, 1931, in El Paso, Texas, to Juan and Elisa Red, Aurora was a lifelong El Pasoan whose life reflected the very best of the American dream. Hers was not a life defined by privilege or ease, but by hard work, perseverance, and an unwavering belief that the next generation should have opportunities greater than her own.

As a young woman, Aurora left Bowie High School during her junior year to work and help support her family. It was a sacrifice made out of necessity, but one that would come to define the selflessness with which she lived her life. Yet Aurora never abandoned her own aspirations. With remarkable determination, she later earned her GED and went on to employment at the Guarantee Shoe Company. In doing so, she demonstrated through her own example that education, hard work, and perseverance could open doors that circumstances might otherwise have closed.

Aurora understood something profound: that the sacrifices of one generation could become the opportunities of the next. She lived that belief every day.

A strong and fiercely independent woman, Aurora was also a devoted and faithful wife to her husband of 47 years, Billy Broadway, who preceded her in death. Together, they shared a life built on love, commitment, and setting a strong foundation for their family.

Above all else, Aurora was a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother whose greatest source of pride was her family. She was the foundation upon which so much of their happiness and success was built. Her children and grandchildren benefited not only from the opportunities she helped create, but from the values she instilled: the importance of family, the dignity of hard work, and the responsibility to care for one another.

To those who knew and loved her, she was affectionately known as “Boo.”

Aurora found happiness in life’s simple pleasures. She loved the outdoors, particularly the beauty and peaceful surroundings of southern New Mexico. She took great joy in preparing wonderful meals for her family and opening her home for holidays and celebrations. Around her table, generations gathered, stories were shared, and memories were made. Those gatherings were more than family traditions; they were an expression of the love and togetherness that meant everything to her.

Born into the Catholic faith, Aurora carried a quiet spirituality throughout her life. Her strength, generosity, and devotion to others reflected the values by which she lived.

Aurora is survived by her three children, Arturo “Tury” Cervantes and his wife, Diane; Jose “Joe” Cervantes and his wife, Tracy; and Sylvia Angelina Ortega and her husband, Roberto.

She also leaves behind her beloved grandchildren, Steve Ortega, Aaron Cervantes, Michelle Ortega Hernandez, Alyssa Cervantes Benavides, Jessica Cervantes Hernandez, Andrew Cervantes, Caleigh Cervantes Guerra and Cole Cervantes along with 11 great-grandchildren.

Each of them carries a part of her legacy.

Aurora’s life is a reminder that the greatest measure of a person’s success is not necessarily what they accomplish for themselves, but what they make possible for others. She gave her family something that cannot be inherited through wealth or possessions: a foundation of love, strength, opportunity, and unwavering devotion.

Her children built their lives upon that foundation. Her grandchildren followed. And her great-grandchildren will continue to benefit from the sacrifices of a woman who understood that family was life’s greatest blessing.

Aurora never needed recognition for all that she gave. The lives of those she loved were recognition enough.

She was, in every meaningful sense, the embodiment of the American dream - not simply because of what she overcame or accomplished, but because she made it possible for those who came after her to dream bigger, reach higher, and achieve more.

Her greatest legacy is not simply the life she lived, but how she lived her life and the lives she made possible.

In lieu of flowers, those so inclined may make a donation to The Aurora Red Medical Student Scholarship at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso.

The Memorial will be held at Hillcrest Funeral Home, 1060 North Carolina Drive, El Paso, TX 79915, US, on November 17, 2026, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, with the Celebration of Life beginning at 12:00 pm.