(FOX40.COM) — The Stockton community is mourning the loss of longtime local advocate Ben Amador, who friends said dedicated much of his life to helping people overcome their past convictions and find new opportunities.
Friends and city officials confirmed Amador died following a car crash while hiking over the weekend.
Amador was well-known for his work with the Phoenix Project at San Joaquin Delta College, which helped expand educational opportunities for formerly incarcerated students. Friends said his advocacy was deeply personal because Amador had experienced incarceration himself.
“He was so passionate because he himself was formerly incarcerated and spent time in solitary confinement, as well as being able to organize with other people and become a pillar, but also a relatable one-on-one person,” friend and reentry case manager Rudy Buenrostro-Suguitan said…