Blanche Q. Flores

Blanche Quiroz Flores, a woman who spent eighty-eight years perfecting the art of the graceful exit, finally took her final bow on June 3, 2026, at Ascension Seton Hospital in Kyle, Texas. She died just a stone's throw from her home in Buda, likely having decided she'd seen quite enough of the scenery.

Born on November 2, 1937—All Souls Day, a timing she surely appreciated for its dramatic flair—Blanche entered the world at Jefferson Davis Hospital in Houston. She was the daughter of Clorinda Marquez Quiroz and Lazaro Quiroz-Potts, though she spent much of her youth being hauled across the country to watch her father supervise the building of railroads. One can only imagine the character-building quality of such travels, which she later recalled with a suspicious amount of "appreciation".

Blanche was a woman of firm priorities. After graduating from Jefferson Davis High in 1955, she informed her suitor, Richard Joseph Flores, that she intended to secure her “BS” before her “MRS”. She held out for a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Houston and exactly six marriage proposals before finally acquiescing. They were married on New Year's Day, 1962, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, a date chosen specifically so Richard would have no excuse for forgetting their anniversary—provided he actually made it to the altar on time.

From Houston, the couple launched their journey to El Paso and the White Sands Missile Range, where they produced two sons, Matthew (1963) and Mark (1964), with the kind of terrifyingly efficient one-year-apart timing that suggests a very strict schedule. They eventually fled back to Houston, where their daughter Aleta arrived in 1967.

In the 1970s, Blanche took her talents to the YWCA, where she represented the organization in New York City and stood up at the Albert Thomas Center to demand an end to the Vietnam War draft. She also chaired the first "La Conferencia de Mujeres por la Raza," proving that she could organize a movement just as easily as she could organize a classroom. For over thirty years, she taught bilingual Business, Typing, and Computer Technology at schools like Milby and J. Frank Dobie, and even did a stint in Boulder, Colorado, during the 80s—likely teaching adults how to type while they were busy trying to find themselves.

She had a beautiful voice, a legendary talent in the kitchen, and a healthy respect for a stiff drink. But her true stage was the Pan American Ballroom. It was there she met Richard, and for decades, the two of them floated through Houston's Chicano social circles, dancing Tejano and Cumbia with the kind of effortless grace that made everyone else look like they were wrestling a bear.

Blanche was a fierce advocate for her family, a trait that likely served her well as she navigated life with her many siblings. She is survived by her children, Matthew, Mark, and Aleta; Aleta's wife, LaVonne McAlicher; her siblings JD, Margaret Ann, and Frank; and a small army of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her adoring husband, Richard, as well as her parents and her siblings Floyd, Lazaro, Robert, and Romanita. One suspects that wherever she is now, the music is playing, the drink is cold, and she's already told Richard that he's leading too fast.

Our family would like to thank all the people who assisted with our mother’s care, especially the staff at Brookdale at Home and the oncologist and surgeon whose care resulted in the cure of her cancer.

A viewing is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, 2026, from 5pm – 8pm at Forest Park Lawndale Funeral Home, 6900 Lawndale Street, Houston, TX, 77023. A mass will be held the following day on Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 10am at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 2405 Navigation Blvd, Houston, TX 77003. The burial ceremony will follow at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery, 6900 Lawndale Street, Houston, TX, 77023.