Jesse Tafalla Jr., 60, passed away on June 6 at Baylor Hospital in Dallas. He was born on Sept. 3, 1962, to Jesse and Nellie Tafalla and raised in far East Dallas.
He graduated from Bryan Adams High School in 1981 while also attending the Law Magnet in downtown Dallas from 1979 to 1981 with honors.
After high school, he worked for IBM for more than 20 years and for DART for the past 10 years. Jesse will always be remembered for his vibrant spirit, dedication and his activism in local arts and civil affairs, especially his work with the LGBTQ community.
Jesse was a founding member of Rainbow LULAC, the first LGBT local of the Latino rights organization, which has since been duplicated in many cities around the country.