Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Sister, friends mourn slain ‘Fantasy’ dancer at Luxor

Debora Flores Narvaez Memorial

Leila Navidi

Celeste Flores Narvaez, Debora’s sister, greets mourners following a memorial service for Debora Flores Narvaez, seen in a photo behind her, at the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor on Friday, Jan. 14, 2011.

Debora Flores Narvaez Memorial

Celeste Flores Narvaez, Debora's sister, greets mourner Scott Launch slideshow »

Dancer memorial

KSNV coverage of memorial for slain Luxor dancer Debora Flores Narvaez, Jan. 14, 2011.

Debora Flores Narvaez

Launch slideshow »

Debora Flores Narvaez never got to hear her sister sing, and Celeste Flores Narvaez never saw her sister dance until Friday.

Both happened at a memorial for Debora Flores Narvaez, whose body was found last week after she had been missing for nearly a month.

The memorial was hosted by “Fantasy” producer Anita Mann in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor, where Debora Flores Narvaez, known to friends and family as Debbie, worked as a part-time dancer in the show.

Mann showed two video clips of Flores Narvaez practicing for a performance with R&B star Sisqo. One of the videos was shot the day she went missing.

At the end of the nearly two-hour memorial, Celeste Flores Narvaez sang part of the song she performed Thursday night at a private Mass at St. Viator Catholic Church.

Most of Friday’s memorial was open for any of the nearly 200 people in attendance to offer condolences to Flores Narvaez’s family or tell stories. About a dozen did so.

Debora Flores Narvaez’s roommate, Sonya Sonnenberg, said there was “never a dull moment living with Debbie.”

She recalled Flores Narvaez’s warning when they moved in that she liked to decorate for Halloween and Christmas.

But when Sonnenberg returned to Las Vegas after leaving town for Thanksgiving, she was surprised to see snowmen and other Christmas decorations covering the apartment.

“Christmas vomited all over my house,” Sonnenberg said.

Flores Narvaez apologized, but Sonnenberg told her she didn’t hate it.

However, Friday, she confessed: “Debbie, I hated those snowmen; I couldn’t use my kitchen,” she said, prompting laughs.

“But I think it’s a testament to how she did things,” Sonnenberg continued. “She did things with so much passion and everything was full-out every time. I remember that about her. Anything you needed, she was there full-out, every time. So Debbie, thank you for teaching me that. I’ll always remember and I’ll always put a snowman figurine in my house for Christmas.”

Flores Narvaez was born July 5, 1979, in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. She disappeared Dec. 12. Police found her body Jan. 7 and arrested her ex-boyfriend, Jason “Blu” Griffith, in connection with her death.

In addition to her sister, Flores Narvaez is survived by her parents, Carlos Flores Roman and Elsie Narvaez Melendez, who weren’t able to attend the memorial.

Others at the memorial recalled instances when Flores Narvaez demonstrated her passion, which helped her live life to the fullest, they said.

“There are people that are 80 and 90 years old and never have their dreams come true and often don’t try,” said Penny Levin, publicist of “Fantasy,” “But Debbie did. She went for her dream, she had her dream … The saddest thing is that she didn’t have long enough on Earth here to do it.”

Celeste Flores Narvaez said Debbie is still with her.

“I don’t treat her as if she’s gone,” she said. “I treat her as if she’s still here and I just can’t see her. Everything I do, I do for her and my family.”

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