Manuel Ruiz, 82, passed away on July 5, 2020 at home in El Paso, Texas, surrounded by his family. He leaves his wife of 52 years, Socorro (Valdez) Ruiz; his children, Adriana (Nicholas) Damon of Fort Worth, Texas; Gabriela Ruiz of Fort Worth, Texas; Pedro (Amber) Ruiz of El Paso, Texas; Elizabeth (James) Dean of Centennial, Colorado; Silvia (Bill) Durham of League City, Texas; brother, Oscar Ruiz; sisters Josefina Cuellar, Socorro Quinones, Maria De La Cruz Realyvasquez; grandchildren, Cristian Damon, Matteus Parr, Liliana Durham, Carolina Durham, and Julianna Ruiz; many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
He was born on July 27, 1937 in Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, one of fourteen children of Pedro and Socorro (Alonzo) Ruiz. He started working at a young age to help support his family. He was a hard worker and held many jobs, from selling newspapers and shining shoes as a child, to working as a salesman and delivery driver as a young adult. Baptized and raised Catholic, he was very involved in the church during his youth and continued to be a believer and follower of Jesus Christ throughout his life. He met the love of his life, Socorro Valdez, at the shoe store at which she worked, and they were married on October 13, 1968 in Juarez, Mexico. He made many sacrifices and immigrated to the United States in search of better opportunities for his family in 1974. He worked for The Coca-Cola Company as a fork-lift driver for 28 years and retired in 2002.
He became a US citizen and was an avid reader and knowledge seeker. His interests included religion, politics, psychology, and history. He played baseball when he was young and was a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also enjoyed watching soccer and was a fan of the Mexico national team.
He was mostly known for his story-telling and sense of humor. He never knew a stranger and made new friends throughout his life. To his family, he was a loving, patient, and supportive husband, father, and grandfather. He set a great example of how to be strong and positive, even when faced with numerous challenges. Most of all, he taught his children the importance of family and being there for each other.
Due to pandemic restrictions and precautions, there will be a private ceremony for immediate family on Friday, July 10, 2020 and a Celebration of Life Memorial at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Myositis Association, https://www.myositis.org.
