Esther G. Cruz

Esther G. Cruz, 88, was born on June 7, 1927, in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. She passed away April 12, 2016. She resided in South El Monte, California at the time of her passing. Arrangements are under the direction of Forest Lawn, Glendale, California.
Our mother, Esther, was born to real estate tycoons, Francisco Gonzalez & Maria Juarez, in the industrious city of Monterrey, in the state of Nuevo León in Mexico. Upon her father's death, our mother and all nine of her siblings, each inherited a home and land owned by their parents. (Our mom would later sell that home to pay for the lengthy process of immigration to the United States.)
In 1946, at the age of 19, mom decided to take a job at the Raleigh Cigarette Factory in Monterrey. That is where she met our father, Ricardo Cruz. It was love at first sight! They dated for five years and married on August 24,1951. They embarked the next day, on a pioneering journey to Baja California, Mexico where they lived for ten years before legally immigrating to the US, after the birth of their seventh and last child.
Our complete family moved to Los Angeles, California in October 1961. Together, our parents began building their dream to prosper. They spoke little to no English when they first arrived. They put themselves through intense classes to learn the language. By 1975, my dad had mastered the language enough to pass his California State Electrical Contractors Exam! He founded his own family business, Cruz Electric, in 1975. They went on to accomplish the American Dream of becoming homeowners that same year! They were an amazing couple that supported each other through thick & thin. Mom and dad always loved California and this amazing country, becoming US citizens in 1988, and here they stayed for the remainder of their lives.
Our father, the love of her life, died in 1991, just one month short of their 40th wedding anniversary. Fortunately, they traveled the world together for nearly five years just before our dad passed away. They went to places like Jerusalem where mom rode a camel, Rome where they renewed their wedding vows, the Vatican where she shook hands with Pope John Paul. They took pictures in front of the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, and the pyramids in Egypt. They went to Uruguay, Paraguay, Morocco, Rio de Janeiro, and ...well, we really never documented how many countries they visited! They visited so many places that mom left at least 25 picture albums of their travels. My dad once said, "If I came up short in what I owe you for the life & love you gave me, I hope I'm partially paying you back with these trips." They lived an enviable last five years together! She waited 25 years to be reunited with our dad, the only man she ever had eyes for. She would often say, "I don't know what I'm still doing here." She was only 64 when our dad died but she said it was pointless to look for another man because no one else would ever measure up to our father.
Anyone who knew my mom, knew she was a feisty woman. She would put you in your place in a quick minute. She never lost an argument because she thought she was always right about everything. She had a green thumb like no one else we ever met. She loved gardening! Plants & flowers were always her favorite topic of conversation. Her favorite were orchids, roses, and begonias. She was a proud member of the Begonia Society! She also loved birds. She used to breed canaries and once owned up to 40 canaries at one time. Our house often sounded like a concert hall when all of her canaries were singing!
Although our mom began to show signs of dementia about three or four years ago, she remained fiercely independent up until about one year ago. She then started to forget things more frequently and needed help with most basic necessities. She was a real trooper and fought valiantly to retain some of her independence right down to the end. Although in the end she was bedridden, she tried to get up, and if you told her she couldn't, she would say, "Yes I can! Watch me!" On her final day, just as her hospice nurse prepared a dose of morphine, in anticipation of severe pain in her final hours, mom slipped away peacefully, going to sleep with a smile, before the pain ever arrived. Mama was a role model as a mother, as a matriarch, and as an independent & pioneering woman who accepted no boundaries when it came to helping her children forge ahead toward a brighter future that she & our dad foresaw for us when they up and left their home country & families. May you rest in peace until we meet again, dear mama. We will miss you more than you'll ever know. 😘😢💔