El Paso firefighters lay to rest retired officer, chaplain who died recently
UPDATE, Jan. 20: The El Paso Fire Department laid to rest retired Lt. and Chaplain Ruben Flores during an emotional funeral service on Wednesday following his death earlier this month.
"Today, we bid farewell... We thank you for 25 years of outstanding service to El Paso and for being an inspiration to us all. May you rest in peace," the EPFD said in a message posted on social media.
You can watch the service in the video player at the top of this article.
ORIGINAL REPORT, Jan. 10: EL PASO, Texas – The El Paso Fire Department is mourning the death of one of its own.
Retired Lt. Ruben Flores died Saturday, and the department announced his death via Twitter.
There are few words to express the deep pain of announcing the passing of Retired Lieutenant Ruben Flores.
— El Paso Fire Department (@EPTXFire) January 10, 2021
Details about services will be shared as they become available.
Thank you for your service Sir, may you rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/iKl0Bnf9dy
A fire department spokesman said Flores had retired but was still helping out by serving as a chaplain for both the city's fire and police departments.
Flores’ age and cause of death were not immediately known.
“He was a person committed to the community,” said fire spokesman Enrique Duenas-Aguilar. “Besides his service as a firefighter, he continued to help his fellow first responders, both police and fire as a chaplain and as part of the El Paso First Responders Fellowship.”
After his retirement, he also worked as a security officer at UTEP and was well-known for attending school sporting events and providing assistance to anyone who needed it, Duenas-Aguilar said.
The El Paso Catholic Diocese tweeted out that it was saddened by Flores' loss and that he had been a candidate to be a full-time deacon.
The Diocese of El Paso is saddened at the loss of Lt. Ruben Flores, Candidate for the Permanent Diaconate and El Paso Fire Department chaplain. Lt. Flores was a parishioner of Mt. Carmel Parish. Our prayers are with Lt. Flores’ family and all of our parishioners from Mt. Carmel. pic.twitter.com/e59N3lFr8Y
— The Catholic Diocese of El Paso (@elpasodiocese) January 10, 2021
Details on funeral services have not been set yet.
