Rene Cruz, 1959 – 2013

Rene Cruz, the son of Resurrection parishioner Patria Cruz,  died on July 31, 2013. He was 53 years old.

His brother Rick writes: “My earliest memories of my brother Rene are probably quite typical.  He was my younger brother by three years.  It started with fascination with my baby brother but turned into the friendship of two brothers who were sharing the experience of playing and learning things together.  Whenever I discovered something new I always wanted to share new discoveries and thrills with him.  As we got a little older he started to show me the things that he was discovering and our relationship became more of a peer friendship.  It probably wouldn’t surprise you that we had no real conflict or rivalry as many siblings do particularly brothers.  Conflict or confrontation just wasn’t part of his nature.  More than that he was extraordinarily generous with all things even as a child.  Three years is large gap in age when you are a child or a teenager, but Rene was mature and intellectually advanced in a way that made the age gap unnoticeable.  As he got older a remarkable thing started to happen.  He started to become more than a peer and brother to me.  He was able to mentor me in areas and started to inspire me.  Over the years he became one of my most trusted advisors both personally and professionally.  In many ways he became my big brother.  Whenever I was facing a particularly difficult challenge or pondering unsolved technical problems, he was always the first call I made.  These typically late night calls usually resulted in the most stimulating discussions that would last for hours.  I would always come away from these sessions bursting with inspiration and ideas.  He liked to relate and apply his theoretical knowledge and hypotheses to real world problems and practical applications.  We shared many interests but perhaps my favorite thing I shared with him was his love of music.  He was able to interact musically the same way he did socially and intellectually.  Through the modern technology he loved, we collaborated and interacted in virtual space even though most of our adult life we lived thousands of miles apart. One thing that was common to all the interactions I had with Rene whether personal, professional, technical, musical, or business, they were always punctuated with smiling, laughter, and humor.

“If Rene could address you all right now, he would implore you to live life to its fullest and follow your dreams and inspirations without compromise.”

There will be a Memorial Mass for Rene here at the Church of the Resurrection on Thursday, August 22nd, at 7:00 pm.

Please keep Rene and his family in your prayers.