Former City of Las Cruces, District 3 Councilor, Olga Pedroza, passed away Thursday after a brief illness per family and friends. Councilor Pedroza, 75, served the City for two consecutive four-year terms. She chose not to run for re-election in 2017.
This information was provided by the city of Las Cruces: City Manager Stuart C. Ed said, “I am so saddened by the sudden loss of my friend and community champion, Olga Pedroza. I am grateful I had the chance to tell her how much she meant to me both personally and professionally and how her legacy of leadership and love of community will shape the future of this great community for decades to come. What a special lady we have all been blessed to have in our lives. She will be deeply missed.”
Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima requested the Las Cruces flag be flown at half-mast at City facilities in remembrance of her service to the City and the community. He stated, “Olga was a true asset to the City of Las Cruces, an advocate for the less fortunate, a fighter for equal rights and an all-around great person. I will miss her.”
Prior to Pedroza’s service to the City, she served nearly two decades with Southern New Mexico Legal Aid, working on civil and women’s rights cases and helping the less fortunate who may otherwise not have had a voice of their own. She would often refer to those cases while speaking at City Council meetings. She had received a law degree from the University of New Mexico in 1985. The Councilor also received degrees from Mundelein College and Antioch College. Pedroza also worked for the State of New Mexico as a Child Support Enforcement Attorney.
Pedroza believed in change, and often said “City Council could be a place to start.” The City sends condolences to her family.
A public memorial service in Pedroza’s honor will take place 1 p.m. Feb. 19 at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, Las Cruces. In lieu of flowers, family members are asking that donations be made to any of several organizations Pedroza supported, such as La Semilla.