Cruz Carrillo De La Peña

Cruz was born on May 20, 1936 in La Mazata (Guadalajara), Jalisco, Mexico to Manuel and Sara Carrillo De La Peña. Cruz’s parents died when he was a young boy and was raised by his paternal grandmother, Petra Lopez. He never received a formal education, but he was an avid learner. He learned how to fend for himself and eventually became a carpenter. On August 6, 1961, he married the love of his life, Alicia Villalobos. They raised four children, Maria Elena Roberts, Manuel De La Peña, Sonia Fernandez and Gabriela De La Peña and included sister-in-law/daughter, Coco Villalobos.

Cruz was a very hard worker. Even after he retired, he always found ways to keep himself busy. There was virtually nothing he could not do. He was the ultimate handyman. When he was not busy building things up or tearing stuff down, he was writing songs, hundreds, and hundreds of songs. Music was his second passion (or maybe his first?). He loved to sing, he loved all things music, he even sang when he ate! He went from managing a musical band that his in-laws formed when they were young, where he would occasionally sing, to being a “DJ” at a senior center where he was able to sing his heart out. And of course, he never passed up an opportunity to sing at any family gathering!

Cruz was a very generous man. He was generous to people he knew and people he did not know. One of his favorite sayings was, “Soy mas bueno que el pan.” He was a great example to all who knew him, especially his children.

Aside from his wife and children, Cruz is survived by his sister, Sara De La Peña; his grandchildren, Manuel De La Peña, Jr., Christopher Akbaroff, Danielle Marin, Jacklyn Velez, Andrew De La Peña, Allison Akbaroff, Alexandra McNerney, Anthony De La Peña, Myles Pittman and Eduardo Gomez; great-grandchildren, Nathan De La Peña, Matix De La Peña, Jayde De La Peña, Aaliyah De La Peña, Melody Bell, Scarlett Marin, Alyssa Fernandez and Owen Fernandez; Sons-in-law, Daniel Roberts and Tony Fernandez; Grandsons-in-law, Carlos Marin and Matthew McNerney; and Granddaughter-in-law, Terri Anh (Akbaroff).