Family and community members gathered at an Oak Cliff church Tuesday to pay respects to a mother and toddler who died in last month’s apartment explosion.
Marisol Perez and her 18-month-old son Eric died May 30 after investigators say excavators hit a natural gas line, followed by an explosion and structure fire at The Clyde apartments on East Ninth Street and Patton Avenue.
Perez’s 10-year-old daughter Vanessa and other family members wore pink T-shirts to Tuesday’s service with a photo of Perez and Eric. Another carried a framed photo of mother and son, as family followed the pallbearers and Perez’s husband into the church during the procession.
About 100 attendees filled the church—many wearing pink or white clothes, per the family’s request.
Pastor Cruz Calderon, called the funeral el ultimo adios, or final farewell to Perez and her son, and said it was a time to “not lose our peace.”
“It’s a painful moment, a sad time” Calderon told KERA in Spanish. “Only God can heal this pain to comfort us,” he said.
The daughter of Democratic activist Sylvia Collins, who also died in the explosion, filed a wrongful death lawsuit for at least $1 million in damages. The lawsuit is against Atmos Energy, the apartment owners and companies involved in the drilling before the explosion.
Perez’s sister Nora Carmona said last week during a news conference they had secured legal representation, but details of any legal action have not been released. Residents Jose Lopez and Onecimo Ponce Mendoza have also filed lawsuits.
“There’s no money, no nothing that can heal the loss of my cousin and her baby,” Guadalupe Villa, Perez’s cousin, told KERA last week.
She described Perez as a kind person who was always “making jokes and making others laugh” even during challenging times, she said. Perez’s cousin said the tragedy has brought the family together.
The Oak Cliff fire injured five residents, left three dead and destroyed the building that housed 19 families. The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the cause of the fire.
A funeral for Collins is this Saturday at the Kessler Park United Methodist Church.
Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
