Obituary of Socorro "Bebe" Alcoser Morales

SOCORRO (BEBE) ALCOSER MORALES

1944 – 2021

Socorro (Bebe) Alcoser Morales was born on August 23, 1944, in San Antonio, Texas. She was the eighth of nine children born to Antonio Morales and Maria Alcoser. The Morales family worked as seasonal farm workers throughout the U.S. until 1948, when they settled permanently in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota.  

Socorro’s oldest brother, Luther, nicknamed her “Bebe” after BeBe Shopp, who was Miss Minnesota and Miss America in 1948. The nickname stuck, in large part because it was easier for the young children in Blooming Prairie to pronounce. At the time, Bebe and her two youngest brothers were the only minorities in the local school. Bebe learned English by making friends with neighborhood children and succeeded in school despite the absence of support for English language learners.

After high school, Bebe took night classes at Durham’s Business College in San Antonio while working as a bookkeeper during the day. Then, with boundless energy and determination, she entered the financial services industry in Minneapolis. In the late 1960s and 1970s, it was unusual to see women—particularly from a minority background—rise to executive positions in that industry. But Bebe was unstoppable. As she moved steadily up the corporate ladder, gaining expertise in restructuring, call center management, process improvements, and strategic planning, her managers appreciated her work ethic and managerial skills. One of them chose a single word to describe her: “Tenacious!”

Bebe served in high-profile roles at a number of Fortune 500 companies, including as vice president at both Ameriprise Financial and Prudential Retirement Services. Favorite memories from her career include successfully overseeing a mutual funds call center during the “Black Monday” stock market crash of October 1987, and delivering a presentation in front of the American Express Board of Directors, former U.S. President Gerald Ford, and other notable executives.

Bebe passed away at the age of 77 on December 12, 2021, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers Luther, Antonio, and Jose Morales; and her sister Anita Rios. She is survived by two daughters and their families: Diedre Johnson, husband Joel, and children Aaron, Alexander, and Owen; and Valerie Carlson, husband Jim Watne, and children Lily and Lucia Watne. She is also survived by four siblings: Adela Morris, Goyo Morales and his wife Lorraine, Susie Clancy, and Marty Morales and his wife Karen. As the self-appointed family historian, Bebe researched and wrote the definitive account of the Morales family ancestry, a valuable resource to all those relatives—now numbering in the hundreds—who survive her. 

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on December 22 at Lakewood Cemetery Historical Chapel (3600 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN), with a reception to follow. The family requests that memorials in Bebe's honor be donated to the charity of your choice.