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LAS CRUCES -- Colleagues on Wednesday remembered former Doña Ana County Clerk Rita Torres, who held four terms in office over the span of four decades, as a hard worker who was dedicated to public service.
Torres died last week. She was 79.
Family members are inviting the public to a Saturday memorial service.
Torres' most recent four-year term ended in 2008, after she lost a primary election bid to current County Clerk Lynn Ellins. But her affiliation with the clerk's office began in 1964, when she was hired as an employee.
She moved up to chief deputy clerk in 1971 and was elected the following year as clerk, serving from 1973-76.
It was in 1966 that Doña Ana County Democratic Party Chairwoman Melinda Whitley first met Torres. The two worked in the same building, the former Doña Ana County Courthouse, off Amador Avenue. Whitley said it was a shock to learn Wednesday of Torres' death.
"She was always so sweet and considerate of people," she said. "She was a hard worker."
Torres had suffered from health trouble in recent years, though the exact cause of her death isn't yet known.
In March of 2004, Torres was appointed by the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners to fill an unexpired term created when former Clerk Ruben Ceballos was removed from office for violations of the election code. Torres ran for re-election later that year and won.
Doña Ana County Commission Chairman Oscar Vásquez-Butler was part of the commission that appointed Torres to the vacancy.
Vásquez-Butler said he knew Torres mostly from her time in the clerk's office and participation with the county Democratic Party.
"To me, she was like an icon," he said.
Torres' health declined over her last four-year term. Toward the end, she was less and less involved with the operations of the clerk's office and sometimes had trouble remembering people. She was also criticized for problems that cropped up during elections -- something that prompted county commissioners to appoint a bipartisan panel to suggest election improvements in the county.
Vásquez-Butler said he thought much of the criticism when Torres sought office in 2008 was an "unfair shot" because people weren't making allowances for her age. However, he said he thought she was handling the job well, especially because of the staff she had in place.
"Her demeanor and professionalism were always the same," he said. "I just thought she was a great lady."
Whitley described Torres as "fair-handed."
"What she did for the Democrats, she did for the Republicans," she said.
Cindy Padilla, administrative assistant in the clerk's office, worked for the office during Torres' stint as clerk in the '90s. Padilla said they became friends, and she sometimes attended Torres' family get-togethers in those days.
"She was real friendly, and knew a lot of people," she said. "I know a lot of people liked her."
Padilla said Torres enjoyed meeting people who visited the office and seemed to like the prestige and the politics that went along with the clerk's role. But she also did good work and was service-oriented, Padilla said.
"She used to help a lot of people who'd go into her office," Padilla said. "She would go out of her way."
Padilla, who eventually quit the clerk office job in 1998 but returned in 2007, said that Torres was a "good boss."
"She was strict, but she wasn't mean," she said.
Whitley said Torres was a "workhorse," who had difficulty accepting the retirement, though her family encouraged her to relax. She said she suspects the local political party will take some step to recognize Torres.
"She'll be sorely missed," Whitley said.
Padilla recounted that family was important to Torres, who'd raised two of her grandchildren, in addition to her own children. According to an obituary, Torres is survived by her husband, Mark Torres of Las Cruces, and five children. She also had 15 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.
The memorial begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 3600 Paroquia St., Tortugas. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be directed to La Posada-Mesilla Valley Hospice, 299 E. Montana Ave., Las Cruces.
Diana M. Alba can be reached at (575) 541-5443.
