Roberto Cruz

Roberto Cruz was born on February 5, 1950, in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. At around eight years old, he moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, a city he would proudly call home for the rest of his life. It was there that he built not only a life, but deep and lasting relationships with family, friends, and everyone fortunate enough to know him.

Roberto was truly a people person. He never met a stranger and had a gift for conversation that could brighten anyone’s day. He was a natural talker with an enormous sense of humor, always ready with a story, a joke, or a laugh. He cared deeply for others, often putting their needs before his own, and left a lasting, positive impression on everyone he encountered.

He enjoyed building and working with his hands, finding satisfaction in creating and fixing things. But perhaps one of his greatest joys was simple and sweet — gathering around a good meal, especially at his favorite buffets. For Roberto, food was more than eating; it was about fellowship and enjoying life.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Jaime Cruz; his sister, Gladys Cruz; his father, Flor Sanchez Cruz; and his mother, Flora Maria Ortiz.

He leaves to cherish his memory his two brothers, William Joseph Cruz (wife, Ivonne Cruz) and Flor Cruz Jr. (wife, Latanya Cruz), along with a host of nieces and nephews who will forever carry his stories, laughter, and love in their hearts.

Roberto’s life was marked by warmth, humor, generosity, and connection. He will be deeply missed, but his spirit will live on in the many lives he touched.