FLORES
1953 - 2004
Brenda Flynn Flores, a.k.a. "Housnitch", passed from this earthly life Saturday, June 12, 2004.  Brenda, a native of Arkansas, was well known in Houston as a community activist.  For years, her focus was on the Spring Branch area where she worked tirelessly for the equality of the Hispanic population.  The past five years, Brenda operated Housnitch, a Web site devoted to exposing "waste, fraud and abuse" in Houston government.  Her most recent crusade was to get the City of Houston to implement a whistle-blower ordinance to protect the jobs of employees who expose problems inside City government.  Less than two weeks before her death, Brenda filed formal complaints with several agencies regarding the Houston Municipal Employees' Pension System, requesting investigations of possible wrongdoing by numerous current and former Houston employees and officials.

Brenda is survived by her parents, Doris and Leland Flynn; eight children, Joseph Floyd, Michael Floyd, Jonathan David Floyd, Joanna Aguirre, Aventura Flores, Trinity Flores, Adrian Flores, and Caricia Flores; sisters, Jima Penney and Terry McKeown; brother Leland Flynn, Jr.; and five grandchildren.

Viewing will be Friday, June 18, from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m.; Family Visitation from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m.; and service at 7 p.m. at All Faiths Funeral Home, 9034 Long Point Rd., Houston, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that contributions be made to a fund to assist with final expenses and memorial.  For details, e-mail dennis@housnitch.com.

Adios Brenda

It is with deepest regets that I post this page.  Brenda's passing is a great loss for the City of Houston and its citizens.  Although her name was not widely known in the general population, her battles with school districts and municipalities have made the Houston area a better place to live.  Those of us who were fortunate enough to have known Brenda, bore witness to how much fire and determination could be packed into one "short, fat, white lady from Arkansas."

Brenda had one request for her passing - "I want y'all to have a big party for me."  So, to that we say "YES".  Time and place will be announced here, next week.  Please plan to attend so that we can send Brenda on to her next assignment in style (plus we can share "Brenda" stories and compare notes.)

And now for the big one:  The question I have been asked most over the last four days is "What is going to happen to Housnitch?"  I cannot give you a definitive answer right now.  But I can say that this creation of Brenda's is too important to let die.  We lost the soul of Housnitch with Brenda's passing, but the heart of Housnitch is the network of people who provided Brenda with the information that showed up here, week after week.  As long as that network stays intact, we will strive to keep this site going.  Check back here, often, for news of our progress.

Dennis
dennis@housnitch.com

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