Lucille Beserra Roybal, the wife of the late Rep. Edward R. Roybal and an activist in the Latino community, died on Dec. 23, 2012 at the age of 95, two weeks before her 96th birthday.
The funeral mass for Beserra Roybal was held on Jan. 4 at Calvary Mortuary Chapel in Los Angeles, California.
Beserra Roybal was born on Jan. 1917 in Los Angeles to Manuel Albert Beserra and Prudenciana Moreno Beserra, and was a descendant of military commander, politician, and rancher Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. She was married to Rep. Edward R. Roybal for 65 years until his passing in 2005.
She was a leader within Rep. Roybal’s Los Angeles City Council and U.S. Congressional campaign teams and was actively involved in the community, serving as one of the first Latina registrar of voters in Los Angeles and co-founding of the Community Service Organization. Beserra Roybal also gave her time to various grassroots and community causes and entities throughout her life including the Well Baby Clinic, the Red Cross and other public health and charitable organizations. Recognizing her contributions to the community, the City of Los Angeles named the Lucille Beserra Roybal Family Source Center in her honor.
Beserra Roybal is survived by her two daughters, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard and Lillian Roybal-Rose, and her son, Ed Roybal Jr.