From the outside, West Boutique Florist, a little flower shop in the west side of Tucson, appears to be nothing spectacular, but it is the owner, Josefina Lizarraga, and her passion for Mexican culture that makes the store come to life.

Beautiful fresh and paper flowers decorate the quaint, charming boutique that welcomes all who enter. Unlike any florist in town, religious paintings and sculptures line the walls of the shop and a small bookshelf propped against the back corner is filled with a variety of books by Lizarraga's favorite authors and close friends.

At the age of 70, Lizarraga has dedicated most of her life to making her business a success, in order to provide her children with the best education and lifestyle possible. But now that her children have grown up and started families of their own, Lizarraga plans on putting her own interests first for a change.

After 43 years of service, she plans on closing her flower boutique and serving the community in other non-profitable ways, such as making paper flowers for the San Xavier del Bac Mission and volunteering for local events like Barrio Hollywood’s Fiesta Grande and Tucson Meet Yourself.

Lizarraga originally started her business from home, where she could work and still raise her children, Lupita, Manuel Jr., Robert and Daniel. She was able to manage the store while washing diapers and baking beans for her family.

It was not her dream career, but “I was too busy bringing up four kids,” Lizarraga said. “Being a florist, I could do it in my house.”

Family has always been her first priority, and she has set a great example for her children, grandchildren and even great nieces and nephews.

“I have been more a mother than a business person,” she said. “I did not neglect my family for work.”

Sergio Rivero, Lizarraga’s godchild and great nephew has always looked up to his great aunt and found her to be very inspiring.

Rivero, who is originally from Nogales, is in his last year of post-graduate education for neurosurgery at the University of Arizona. He has received a lot of support from Lizarraga.

“She’s very proud,” he said. “She really is very special to us, to me and my family. She really is more like an aunt than a great aunt. She can do anything.”

Margaret McKenna, 51, might not be a member of Lizarraga’s family, but Lizarraga has nevertheless always had a permanent presence in her life since she was 8 or 9 years old.

“She’s been in my neighborhood practically all my life,” McKenna said. “She is just a great lady. She hasn’t forgotten where she comes from, where her roots are.”

Lizarraga does whatever she can to help the community, but always stays in the background while doing so. Receiving recognition for her kind acts is not important her. It is the appreciation, respect and happiness that she receives from those that she helps is her real reward.

“She’s one of these [people] you can count on,” McKenna said. “Most of all, she’s got a heart of gold.”

But now it is Lizarraga’s turn to put her aspirations and goals first by doing what she truly loves. Her passions have always been gardening, folkloric art and educating the community about the rich Mexican culture. She plans on investing the rest of her life taking part in these activities.

Lizarraga has opened herself to many social networks over the years, being an avid gardener and folklorist, as well as an active volunteer in many community events.

Jim Griffith, long time friend and former director of the UA Southwest Folklore Center, met Lizarraga 20 years ago when he was giving a public lecture.

She approached him after his speech to discuss folkloric art.

“I realized she knew just a whole lot of fascinating stuff,” Griffith said. “I helped provide opportunities for her to do her art work in public.”

He told her about Tucson Meet Yourself, a local event that celebrates the diversity of Tucson, for which she now makes her paper flowers.

“She’s a pretty special artist. It’s the flowers really, that she’s most special for,” he said. “She goes to school and teaches kids how to do them too.”

Lizarraga demonstrates and teaches classes on how to make the paper flowers at the Arizona State Museum, and has been displaying them at the San Xavier del Bac Mission for the past 35 years.

Her flowers have even received national recognition in movies, such as The Quick and the Dead.

George Brookbank, who has been a close friend of Lizarraga’s for more than 10 years, met her through a shared interest for gardening.

Brookbank, who used to write weekly gardening articles for the Tucson Citizen, received a response from her about an article he had written about planting mango pits.

In his article he stated that it is basically impossible to do so, and Lizarraga was able to prove him wrong.

He drove to her house to see the mango tree she had been growing using the method that he explained to be ineffective, “and from that point forward we just became blossoming friends,” said Brookbank.

Along with growing the mangos, Brookbank explained that she grows other plants that he was surprised to see thrive and flourish so well in the desert.

Lizarraga’s passion for gardening, folkloric art and community service is now stronger than ever, and she has no intention in slowing down once she sells her flower shop.

“I won’t just be rocking in my chair. I will be digging,” she said.