Trinidad “Trini” Garza, one of the pioneers of Dallas' Hispanic community and an advocate for education, died Thursday.
Garza died of natural causes at the age of 92, his son Jerome Garza confirmed.
“My father's passion was obviously in education. He wanted everyone to be able to go to college, graduate and have a better life through education,” his son said.
In 1969, he was the first Hispanic to be appointed to the Dallas Independent School District Board of Commissioners, and served on that board from 1970 to 1971. He served on the board from 1991 until 1994, when he again served, and consistently promoted bilingual education. He was appointed deputy regional director for the U.S. Department of Education in 1994 in the administration of President Bill Clinton.
In 2010, Mountain View University's Early College High School was named in his honor.
Garza was well known in the community for his advocacy, leadership, and mentoring of Dallas' next generation of Hispanic leaders. One of his mentors was Dallas County Commissioner Elva Garcia.
“He is a great legacy of community service and, more importantly, one of the first many of us to step into that position,” Garcia said. “We take a lot of things for granted, but the reality is there are always people who fought before we got there. Trini was one of them.”
Garza was born in Stockdale on September 22, 1931, and grew up in Floresville in a family of immigrant farm workers. He was the eldest of his two sisters and one brother, taken into care by his mother at the age of 12 and after his father died at the age of 17. Trini graduated from Texas A&M in 1961 with a degree in mechanical engineering.
As a community leader, Trini Garza directed the organization “La Vos del Anciano” from 2001 to 2008. He was also a member of the Texas Silver Legislature, where he served as chairman of the Dallas Commission on Aging and advised state legislators on senior issues.
Another local leader who worked with Garza on senior advocacy efforts was former Dallas City Council member Monica Alonzo.
“We are saddened by the loss of a community icon, a good friend, and a strong supporter,” Alonzo said. “We collaborated on a variety of initiatives, including programs and services for seniors.”
His son, Jerome Garza, said there's one piece of advice his father always gave him that he plans to follow.
“My father always said to me, 'Jerome, before you do anything, say a prayer and then consider whether you would do it in front of a church,'” he said.
Trini Garza and his wife Benilde Mendoza, who married in 1957, pioneered the Texas State Fair's Latin concessionaires 40 years ago, introducing the Mexican dish fajitas to fairgoers. The family continues the tradition of selling food at the fair.
“When we talk about our father, we talk about education and everything he did for the community, but he was also a businessman and our father, a great father,” the son said.
He is survived by his son, Jerome, and daughters, Bernice Robredo, Dennis Garza de la Cruz, and Norma Garza. Also surviving are his 12 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren. His wife, Benilde Mendoza, died in 2014.
Once funeral arrangements are finalized, the Garza family will share details with the community.
