By Moses Leos III
Former Kyle City Council member Sandra Tenorio remembered her uncle Blas as an outwardly quiet man, but one who had a “funny sense of humor.” He was also a person who had a great relationship with his three other siblings.
For as quiet as he was, Blas was also a dignified leader who didn’t shy away from helping others. In 1965, Blas Tenorio became the first person of Latino descent elected to the Kyle City Council.
Sandra, who spoke at her uncle’s funeral on Dec. 28, recalled a man whose influence continues to be felt, even if he didn’t realize it at the time.
“He was the kind of person who was influential person that never realized how influential he was,” Tenorio said. “He didn’t crave that influence … he was influential because he was respected.”
Tenorio, born in 1924 in Kyle, was a veteran of World War II, fighting across five different battles in the European Theater. According to Sandra, it was something her uncle never talked about.
Tenorio fought within the 320th Infantry Division and was one of many soldiers who landed on Normandy Beach as part of the D-Day Invasion on June 6, 1944. He also fought in Northern France and in the Ardennes Forest.
After the military, Tenorio returned to Kyle, and with the assistance of his brother Sam, operated a grocery store in downtown for over 30 years.
The store was originally located in what is now the Masonic Lodge building in downtown Kyle, and then moved to what is now Desperados Dance Hall. In addition, the two also owned property in the downtown corridor for many years. That includes the property where the Hays Free Press building currently is located.
During that time, Tenorio ran and was elected to the Kyle City Council dais. While on the dais, the city began to move forward with necessary improvements, such as a citywide wastewater system and street lighting.
Sandra said his understanding of what others needed was part of his character. It stemmed from his mantra of finding out how to help people live a better life.
“Those things were very big at the time and today, we take them for granted,” Sandra said. “We went from no sewer system to everyone having a full-blown sewer system.”
But Sandra said her uncle’s humble attitude continued, even after he was recognized as being the groundbreaking civic servant he was.
“He wasn’t like, ‘I was going to break through this ceiling,’” Sandra said. “He said I needed to do this. There was no thought on making history and opening this up for someone else.”
But it was the respect and admiration of his consituents that followed until the day he passed away.
Sandra said citizens trusted Blas’ judgment and looked to him as a leader.
In 1972, after serving his time on the dais, then Kyle Mayor James Miller proclaimed Jan. 27 as Blas Tenorio Day.
Tenorio continued his role in the community long after his run on the dais.
He served on the Kyle Planning and Zoning Committee for more than 30 years. In addition, he was also a founding member of the St. Anthony’s parish Knights of Columbus.
His influence, along with that of the Tenorio family, extended to future generations. Sandra was elected as the first woman of Latino descent, and only the second woman as mayor of Kyle in 1985.
But for Sandra, what stood out was a man whose actions spoke louder than his words.
“He was just a great man who was very quiet, but was a great leader in his own distinguished way,” Sandra said.
