Gilbert H Cruz

With no real hospital around and in the dead of winter, his mother, Manuela, used her body and the warmth of the family stove to keep him warm and incubated. A few years later, Beto’s father, Patricio, determined to give his children a better life, moved the family – mother, Beto, Patricia, Simon and Amador, to the big city of Houston.

Beto spent his formative years in the East End of Houston and although the family believed he suffered from Polio, because he had very limited use of his right hand and leg. Beto never let this slow him down, despite having to wear a painful leg brace and suffer through several surgeries to try to correct his leg. He kept up with his siblings and even gained a reputation in the neighborhood as someone you didn’t want to get into a fight with because of his very powerful left punch. He went to Milby High School where he had many friends and was very close to many of them. A female classmate had a child with the fatal Tay-Sachs disease and Beto spent as much time as he could consoling her. After high school, Beto went on to Durham Business College.

After college Beto struggled to find a job because employers wouldn’t give him a chance because of his ailment. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was passed and this gave Beto the ability to find a job and he began working for the City of Houston as a dispatcher and had a long career including adapting and learning to use computer technology there until he retired at the age of 62 after having worked 25 years without missing a day of work. Around this time, Beto was tested by his doctor and it was discovered that he had cerebral palsy, and not polio. Throughout his life, Beto never complained about his situation in life and never let his disability slow him down.

In the late 60’s and early 70’s, Beto became a uncle to his brothers’ and sisters’ children and enjoyed spending time with them and treating them to candy from the corner store when they’d get cigarettes for him and ice cream from the ice cream truck. He also liked to remind his nephews as they were growing up, they needed to love all the girls they could and was happy to take them along for rides in his baby blue Pontiac. His nephew James remembered when he, Beto and Patricio went to buy that brand new car and how happy Beto was. He even customized it with a knob on the wheel which left him steer the car better because he only had the use of one hand.

Beto’s proudest moment was when his baby girl, Patricia, was born. He raised Patricia, along with her siblings – Tina, Esther, and Juan with their mother Rosenda, and even bought a house for the whole family to grow up in near his father’s house. Beto later became a grandfather to Patricia and her brother and sisters’ children and relished every moment of his time with them. His family will always remember he had a big smile that could light up the room and always looked forward to life