Leonor Cruz

Leonor Cruz was a modest woman, quiet and observant in her ways. She was trustworthy and traditional in her approach to her life and in her relationships. She was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew her. She was also a woman who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything she undertook. Realistic about life, she was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Her parents were Alfredo & Aurelia Zamora. Leonor was raised in Douglas, Arizona. She was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve her well throughout her life.

Growing up in the Cruz household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Leonor was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and she was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Leonor was raised with two siblings. She had two sisters, Francis Gonzales and Bertha "Berdie" Esquer. Leonor was constantly involved in activities with her brothers and sisters. Leonor and her siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Leonor was always consistently loyal to her family.

While her teachers and even her friends generally thought of Leonor as being a serious person, she managed to have a pretty good time in high school as she made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was Writing and Art (Drawing). Leonor was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using her exceptional memory, she was able to learn much through observation. Leonor always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though she could easily master any problem that might be presented to her.

Compassionate and devoted to George, Leonor held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. She took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it her total commitment. She was a source of strength to George and using her gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, she worked hard to make her new family happy.

Leonor brought the same traditional values in her marriage to bear on how she raised her children. She was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in her dealings. She would always listen carefully and think things through before she acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Leonor was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Leonor was blessed with three children, three sons, George, Edward, and Gerald. They were also blessed with four grandchildren, Marcus, Michael, Adel, and Christopher.

Leonor greatly enjoyed what she did for a living. She was a hard worker who expected the same in return from her co-workers. She was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Leonor enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Leonor was excellent at meeting deadlines. She was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. Her primary occupation was homemaker. She was employed for an aircraft manufactureur during World War II as a "Rosy the Riveter.". Leonor worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Leonor liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into her hobbies, where she was very methodical in how she organized her activities and categorized things. Since she enjoyed her private time, Leonor always tried to allocate a specific time for working on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were writing poems and drawing. Leonor was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Leonor was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of Pope Pius X Catholic Church. She was a sympathetic woman who valued her beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Leonor Cruz passed away on April 7, 2010 at Odessey Haror House Hospice. Leonor died of natural causes. She is survived by her sons, Edward, Gerald, and George; grandchildren, Michael, Marcus, Adel and Christopher; Great Grandchildren, Anthony, Sara, Megan, Vanessa, and Brandon. Leonor was laid to rest in Williams, Arizona Cemetery.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Leonor Cruz. She was committed to living the life of a good woman who was both practical and trustworthy. She was committed to the traditional values that she upheld her entire life. She committed herself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around her. Most of all, she was committed to those she knew and loved.