Elena Sofia Reyes was born on July 29, 1963, in San Antonio, Texas, to Carlos and Maria Reyes. She grew up in a loud, loving household full of cousins, tamales, and the kind of music that makes it impossible to sit still. Elena was the child who organized the neighborhood kids into plays, who argued with teachers when she thought they were wrong, and who never once doubted that she had something important to say. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin in 1985 and spent the next four decades as a reporter, editor, and eventually managing editor at the Austin American-Statesman. She covered city hall, education, and immigration with the tenacity of someone who believed that journalism was not a career but a calling. She won three Texas Press Association awards and was known in the newsroom for her red pen, her high standards, and her absolute refusal to let a story go until it was right. Elena was a passionate advocate for public education, serving on the Austin Independent School District's community advisory board for twelve years. She mentored dozens of young journalists, particularly women and people of color, and was a founding member of the Austin chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. She married David Okafor in 1991 and together they raised two children in a home full of books, debate, and the conviction that paying attention to the world is a form of love. Elena was also an avid runner, a mediocre but enthusiastic cook, and a person who could make any dinner party feel like the best night of the year. Elena Sofia Reyes died on August 1, 2026, at the age of 62, after a brief illness. She told the truth for a living. That is no small thing.

Hobbies & interests

Running — completing seven Austin marathons; cooking Mexican food from her mother's recipes; attending Austin City Limits Music Festival every year; reading investigative journalism and political biography; mentoring young reporters over coffee; attending her children's school events without fail

Survived by

Her husband, David Okafor of Austin, TX; two children: Sofia Okafor-Reyes of New York, NY, and Marco Okafor of Austin, TX; her mother, Maria Reyes of San Antonio, TX; her brother, Roberto Reyes (Linda) of San Antonio, TX; and the many journalists she mentored and the readers she served.

Preceded in death by

Her father, Carlos Reyes; her sister, Lucia Reyes-Garza; and her dear friend and colleague, Patricia Nguyen.