Mrs. Salvadora Doris Santos Cruz

When Salvadora "Doris" Cruz walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Doris was and how she impacted those around her. Doris was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Doris wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Doris was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

She was the daughter of Tomas and Basilisa Santos. Doris was raised in Puerto Rico where she resided until 1964 and then moved to the United States. She lived in Brooklyn, New York until 1989 and then moved to Florida where she spent the rest of her years. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Doris might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Doris was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

Doris was raised with ten siblings. She had six brothers, Victor Manuel, Julio Enrique, Jose Ramon, Wilfredo, Alberto and Angel and four sisters, Angelica, Lucilla, Silvia and Aida. Doris was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Doris was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Doris well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

Doris's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. Doris met and married the love of her life, Sergio Cruz on September 5th, 1959 in Puerto Rico. Together they built a beautiful life and family. She was always quite sensitive towards Sergio's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Her devotion to him never waivered. A prime example of this is when Sergio suffered a major stroke and was in a coma for 3 months. She never, ever left his side. When he was transferred to a rehabillitation center, she would sleep on a fold up cushon on the floor. She continued to display her eternal and unselfish love for him throughtout the next 13 years as his prime care giver at home. In October of 2008 she was diagnosed with a terminal disease but refused to commit him to Nursing Home. It was not until October of 2009 as her streghth to continue this enormous task wore thin that she reluctantly agreed to this change. Doris was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Doris. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Doris Cruz for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Doris was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.

Doris was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Doris, parenting was a extremely enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Cruz home. Doris's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Doris was blessed with three children: two daughters: Sandra and Yvette; and one son, Sergio, Jr. They were also blessed with seven grandchildren, Lisandra, Jennifer, Andrew Jason, Carmelo, Amanda, Sergio III, Samuel Joseph, and three great-grandchildren: Janysa, Arianna and Chanel.

Because Doris loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were reading Christian books and her Bible. Doris was a cleaning fanatic. It was a long going joke that you could "eat off her floor". Doris had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Doris's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

She is survived by her loving husband Sergio, her children Sandra, Sergio Jr. and Yvette. Her siblings, Victor Manuel, Julio Enrique, Jose Ramon, Wilfredo, Alberto, Angelica, Lucilla and Silvia, seven grandchildren, Lisandra, Jennifer, Andrew Jason, Carmelo, Amanda, Sergio III, Samuel Joseph; and three great-randchildren: Janysa, Arianna and Chanel. Salvadora is pre-deceased by her sister Aida Luz and brother Angel. Services will be held at Forest Lawn South Funeral Home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Viewing will be Thursday, March 25, 2010 from 5:00-8:00PM. A funeral service will be held Friday, March 26, 2010 at 11:00AM. Salvadora will be laid to rest in Forest Lawn South Memorial Gardens South in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.