Rory Gibson Cruser

As my husband often said to me, "I am not perfect and neither are you. But we are perfect for each other." After he passed away, I could not even bear to think of writing an obituary for weeks. I was having to deal with the fact that, for the rest of my life, I will never be with him again. But the truth is, he has shown me in many ways that he is still with me, just on a different plane. We had 27 years together and were one of the lucky couples who had a true spiritual, loving connection - soulmates, each of us seeing the other as the love of our lives. He always told me that I made him a better person, loving him unconditionally... and he opened my world in so many ways. I will miss him every day of my life. Rory Gibson Cruser was called to be with the Lord on January 5, 2018. He owned a marketing business and was a mentor to many people, in many states, for over 40 years. He was disciplined and hard-working and became very successful which allowed us to travel the world. Along the way he was privileged to meet many famous people including some of his personal heroes such as President Ronald Reagan, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and POW motivational speaker, Jerry Coffee. He had an extraordinary love for all kinds of music, which he passed on to his children. After retiring and residing in South Carolina for the past 8 years, we moved back to Baton Rouge a little over a year ago to be closer to our children and grandchildren while Rory was receiving treatment for a terminal illness. Unfortunately not diagnosed until Stage IV, he was determined to prove the doctors wrong about his life expectancy... and so he did. As long-time friend Bruce Hohler put it, Rory was always a "one-percenter." Throughout 16 months of various treatments, he kept his positive attitude and enthusiasm for life, working in his wood shop until right before Christmas. Through his courage and determination, he gave those he loved the gift of an extra 12 months of cherished memories. A natural athlete, Rory played various sports in high school and college. He enjoyed attending his children's sports events and sometimes combined that with his greatest hobby of piloting his own small plane. Rory was an avid golfer later in life and especially enjoyed playing with close friend John Tyler in South Carolina. Rory had a terrific sense of humor and loved to tell stories, and he enjoyed others who could do the same. He was charming and charismatic and enjoyed spending time with people from all walks of life. Rory was a loving man and extraordinary husband. A loyal friend, he still remained in contact with people he met in grammar and high school. His dearest friend, Billy Biel, was part of his life for over half a century. Rory was truly remarkable, one of a kind. Many of those he befriended or mentored have written his family to share how he has forever impacted their lives. Rory was a strong believer and one of his spiritual gifts was teaching. He spread the message of Rev. Timothy LaHaye to thousands, teaching them in a fun and engaging way how to accept and get along with others. Rory was inspirational and motivational, always willing to share what he knew to help others. One of Rory's greatest joys was being 'Gramps,' and he loved spending time with grandsons Luke, Jordy and Kit, as well as great-grandson Mateo. His hope was to pass along skills and interests shared with him by his own Gramps. Rory was loved immensely and will be greatly missed by his family and friends. He passed peacefully in his sleep surrounded by family. He was 71 years old. Rory knew exactly where he was heading, and until we meet again, "I love you, Always and Forever." A private life celebration was held on January 13th, attended by his beloved wife, Vicki, his daughters Kelli Partin and Carmen Kennedy, his son Ryan Campbell, his sons-in-law Chuck Partin and K.O. Kennedy and his sister-in-law Diane Edrington. Immediately following, an intimate family dinner was held at Little Village downtown, also attended by close friends Dr. Rick Beringer and wife Julie. A second life celebration will be held on February 17th in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, to include Rory's mother-in-law Margaret Reynolds, his brother-in-law Dale Reynolds (with son Robin), brother-in-law Don Reynolds (with daughter Kimberly and grandchildren Victoria and Grayson), and sister-in-law Diane Edrington (with sons Cameron, Matthew and Brennan). He was preceded in death by his father, Conrad "Kit" Cruser, and brother-in-law Glenn Edrington. Cremation arrangements were provided by Rabenhorst Funeral Home Downtown, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.