Born May 3, 1932, in Utuado, Puerto Rico, son of the late Juan and Amelia Rivera Cruz. He was predeceased by his wife, Joan and then his partner, Donna Heagy.
He is survived by two daughters, Vickie Harle and Janeen Hawkins and son, Michael Cruz; three grandchildren, Michaelyn Harle (Josh Elder), Jennifer Zimmerman (Bryce), and Brandon Hawkins (Christina); 9 Great Grandchildren; and his siblings who live in Puerto Rico.
Raymond moved to Harrisburg in the early 1950's and was one of the first members of the Hispanic community to settle in the area. He worked at the Penn Harris Hotel in downtown Harrisburg as an apprentice Chef, he then moved on to become the Executive Chef at the Holiday Inn Town now the Crowne Plaza and then the Executive Banquet Chef for the Sheraton Inn, Mechanicsburg. He was famous to everyone for his Spanish rice and beans. Upon retiring as a Chef, he and his wife had a stand at the Board Street Market in Harrisburg. He loved his family, going to casinos, dancing the salsa, watching action movies and his passion, playing Dominoes. He could play dominoes for hours and won an award for a domino tournament he participated in. His legacy will carry on by the meaningful acts of love such as taking care of his developmentally disabled son for over 60 years. They were buddies who went everywhere together.
Funeral Services will be at 11:00 am, on Monday, March 4, 2024, at Neill Funeral Home, 3501 Derry Street, Harrisburg. Burial will be in Resurrection Cemetery. A viewing will be held from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Sunday, March 3, 2024, at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Community Interactions, Inc., 740 S Chester Road, Swarthmore, PA 19081, website www.ciinc.org for his son, Michael.
