SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Weeks after suffering two strokes, famed Chicano poet Trinidad Sanchez Jr. has died at the age of 63 in a San Antonio hospital.
The San Antonio Express-News reported that Sanchez was admitted to Methodist Hospital in the Texas city on July 17 and when news spread that he died there last Sunday, the literary community immediately mourned his loss.
"Everyone adored him," popular San Antonio writer Naomi Shihab Nye said. "He was one of the most-loved literary community members -- he was a prince."
Wearing his trademark black beret, Sanchez, who was born in Pontiac, Mich., put together a formidable writing career during his life, ranging in topics from gun violence towards children to spicy Chicano food, the report said.
The Express-News said that medical costs for the "Why Am I So Brown?" author have eclipsed $600,000, prompting the creation of a number of area fundraisers to help his widow Regina Chavez y Sanchez cope with the costs.
