Hundreds remember Southern Arizona's "champion" Raúl Grijalva

More than 900 people filled Tucson’s St. Augustine Cathedral on Wednesday morning to honor the life and legacy of Raúl Grijalva—a devoted father, grandfather, friend, neighbor, and longtime congressional representative for Southern Arizona.

Grijalva passed away earlier this month due to complications from cancer treatment. His political career was deeply rooted in his hometown of Tucson, where he was born in 1948 to Mexican immigrant parents. He began as a fierce advocate for bilingual education on the Tucson Unified School District board, later served as a Pima County Supervisor, and eventually took his fight for social justice to Congress, where he served for over two decades.

“Raúl was not a congressman,” said Ruben Reyes, Grijalva’s longtime district director. “He was a lifelong activist who happened to be a member of Congress, and his community loved him for it.” Reyes, who opened the funeral service, shared some of the most endearing memories of their years together.

“Being in a car with Raúl was an experience,” Reyes remembered. “The car would be a mess, newspapers, and coffee stains everywhere. His bean burrito half-eaten and half on this sweater vest…he would try to brush the beans off his vest and ask me, ‘Does this look better for the press conference?’ I said, ‘No, man, it's all over you.’”

Prominent leaders, both past and present, gathered to pay tribute to Grijalva’s steadfast leadership, humor, and moral conviction. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez remembered him as a mentor and an unwavering presence in the political world.

“He was a tío to many, including me, gifting countless people from busboys to chairpersons his famous artworks drawn on committee stationery and sharing his equally famous jokes as a token of affection,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

The crowd of mourners was filled with local elected officials including Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego, and Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly. More than 50 bipartisan congressional members, including Tucson Republican Representative Juan Ciscomani, and former Representative Ron Barber. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also traveled to Tucson to reflect on Grijalva’s impact.

“Raúl was a man with moral clarity of purpose and kindness for the least of us all,” Pelosi remembered. “Whether you were staff or speaker, he treated everyone the same.”

Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who served alongside Grijalva on the Natural Resources Committee when she was a member of the U.S. House, praised his courage and leadership.

“He stood up against bitter attacks and pointed out hypocrisy whenever he saw it,” Haaland said. “He led in a quiet but very strong way that steered people in the right direction, and he left the ladder down for others to climb, lifting up his colleagues, moving us to stand up for what's right–always, in the name of those who couldn't stand up for themselves.”

Following the funeral mass, a celebration of life was held at El Casino Ballroom, where campaign volunteers, tribal leaders, and family gathered to honor Grijalva’s enduring legacy. As stories, laughter, and tears were shared, it became clear that Raúl Grijalva was more than a politician—he was a voice for the voiceless, a champion for social justice, and a beloved son of Tucson who will be deeply missed.