The funeral for Former Arizona Congressman Raúl Grijalva was held at St. Augustine Cathedral, 192 S. Stone Ave., Wednesday morning at 10 a.m.
Grijalva died on March 13 at age 77, after a yearlong battle with cancer.
Grijalva served in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Arizona's third and seventh districts, for 22 years, and had only recently announced in October that he would not be running for another term.
Among the dignitaries speaking at the funeral: Gov. Katie Hobbs, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY 14th District), Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA 11th District), and former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.
Fifty-two members of Congress were in attendance, according to organizers.
FULL KGUN 9 COVERAGE | Remembering Raúl Grijalva
FUNERAL SERVICE SPEAKERS:
Adelita, Raquel, and Marisa Grijalva remember their father.
District Director Rubén Reyes spoke fondly at the service about his longtime friend.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs spoke on how Congressman Grijalva was a champion for his state.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi spoke of Congressman Girjalva's dedication.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reflect on Congressman Grijalva's mentorship and legacy.
Former Congresswoman and secretary of the interior remembers Congressman Grijalva.
The funeral will be followed by a celebration of life at El Casino Ballroom, 437 E. 26th St. from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. The celebration is open to the public and will be catered by some of Grijalva's favorite restaurants in Tucson.
El Casino manager Fred Martinez told KGUN 9 that Grijalva held many events at the southside venue, from campaign rallies to his 50th wedding anniversary.
“One of the things I kid people about is, how many laps did you do on this floor? And Raúl and Ramona, they did many, many," Martinez said.
An outpouring of condolences and support from Tucson and beyond flooded social media following Grijalva's passing.
Former President Barack Obama posted on social media:
"For more than two decades in Congress, Raúl Grijalva was a fierce advocate for the environment and putting quality, affordable health care within reach for more Americans. Arizonans could not have asked for a better voice in Washington, and our thoughts are with Raúl’s family and everyone who loved him."
Friends and family shared their memories at a candlelight vigil outside of Grijalva's headquarters following his death. And the nonprofit Sunnyside Foundation announced it was coordinating with the Grijalva family to launch a scholarship fund for students at Sunnyside High School.
Grijalva graduated from Sunnyside in 1967.
“He was proud to be a Blue Devil,” Stephanie Ponce, principal at Sunnyside High School, told KGUN 9. “One of the big focuses that you will always read about that Congressman Grijalva had was education. I know that there are trying times that are happening with education, and we always knew that he was an individual that we could count on.”
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