PHOENIX (AP) - Prominent Mexican-American community leader Teresa “Terri” Cruz, a co-founder of the Arizona social-services agency Chicanos Por La Causa, has died at age 89.
The organization says Cruz died Thursday.
Max Gonzalez is the agency’s executive vice president for strategy. He said Friday that Cruz was active with the organization until her physical limitations became too great about a year ago.
She helped found the agency in 1969 and worked for it as a counselor for more than four decades.
The Arizona Diamondbacks honored Cruz last year with an award named for Puerto Rican baseball legend Roberto Clemente under an MLB initiative setting aside a seat in each ballpark for a community hero.
Cruz was also honored in 2012 as an Arizona Latina Trailblazer by Phoenix College’s Raul H. Castro Institute.
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