CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — I'm standing in front of the home where Selena Quintanilla lived in the final years of her life. Now, neighbors here are grieving the death of her father, Abraham Quintanilla. I spent the day visiting the neighborhood to see how the community is remembering him.
"He meant a lot to me. I'm gonna miss him a whole lot," Ricardo Garcia, Owner of Hi-Ho restaurant, said.
I visited Hi-Ho Restaurant, a Westside staple and a family favorite for the Quintanillas. I sat down with owner and family friend Ricardo Garcia to offer my condolences. That's when he reflected on his loss and shared his last memory with Abraham.
"I remember the last time I saw him. They had a meeting with the Tejano legends, and he was here," Garcia said.
Garcia says Selena fans still come in all the time, looking at her photos on the wall.
"A lot of times they do come in and ask where she used to sit," Garcia said.
One of those fans is Laura Tovar, sitting at Selena's famous table. She showed me a photo from when she met Abraham a few years ago at Fiesta de la Flor, a festival celebrating Selena.
She admits her father wasn't always the easiest person to speak to, something he was very known for.
"I know a lot of people are you know.. kind of scared to approach him. But he was really down to earth," Laura Tovar, Fan, said.
And says she drove five hours to be here.
"When I heard the news I was like… you know.. speechless," Tovar said.
At a table right across, I joined Juan Rodriguez and his mother for breakfast. They tell me they're also from the neighborhood, and ate next to Abraham the last time they were here.
"This was his favorite restaurant. So, we come in here often and we've seen him in here quite often as well," Juan Rodriguez, Fan, said.
As a DJ, Juan says:
"Even til today they still pack the dance floor.. It's great music. You can't go wrong with Selena," Rodriguez said.
While I was still in the neighborhood, I stopped by the Selena Museum. Out of respect for the family, I didn't push for interviews, but just 30 minutes later, I saw super fan Laura there again, paying her respects.
Regardless of how people may feel, one thing is certain: Abraham Quintanilla's legacy will live on through the music and cultural impact he helped create.
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