Richard Lee Cruz

May 2, 1959 – March 31, 2019

On Sunday, March 31, 2019, Richard Lee Cruz, loving father of one daughter, and two grandchildren, passed away at the age of 59 at Tranquility Hospice in Marietta, Georgia.  Richard (i.e. Rick, Dad, Uncle Ricky, Papa), the youngest of four children, was born on May 2, 1959, on the island of Guam.  Growing up in an Air Force family, he moved around quite a bit, living in places such as Minnesota, Texas, and California. He briefly attended Del Rio High School in Del Rio, Texas, eventually earning his GED after moving to El Cajon, California in the mid 1970's with his mom, dad, two brothers, and sister. He was a teen father and briefly married to his high school sweetheart, Donna Jo Jobes (Murray), the mother of his daughter, Shannon. Rick made San Diego, California, his home until he moved to Rockford, Illinois, in the late 1990's. While in Illinois, he was a school bus driver and had a long career as a package handler with UPS until 2016.  In June of 2018, he moved to the greater Atlanta area to be near his daughter and grandchildren.

Rick was an American muscle car enthusiast and had a love for cars, in particular, fast cars (the Javelin was his favorite)—this was his passion. He loved to participate in car shows where he would display his automobiles and won numerous awards. He enjoyed customizing and modifying cars as evidenced by the many car parts he had accumulated over the years. He loved NASCAR and would spend hours watching races on television.

He loved California beaches and enjoyed fishing. He loved to spend hours fishing, more for the serenity of the sport rather than the pursuit of catching fish—he always gave away his catch.  Being that he was Chamorro, some of his favorite Guamanian foods were "Red Rice" and "Chicken Kelaguen" topped with some extra spicy "Fina'denne' ."  He considered California his home, and was fond of good Mexican food, especially a giant Carne Asada burrito. His favorite place to go while he was in Georgia was "The Golden Corral."  Eating at Golden Corral with his grandkids was an extra special treat.  He was known as someone with a kind heart and great sense of humor, constantly trying to make people laugh. Even in his last days, he was joking around about the after-life in an attempt to make his daughter feel better about the situation. He was someone that lived by his own rules and did what he wanted to do without reservation. He loved cats and had many through the years. His last pet kitties were Star and Princess.

Rick was preceded in his death by his father, Peter Hart Cruz Sr. and his mother, Annie (Chargualaf) Cruz.  He is survived by his only daughter Shannon Rae (Cruz) Lloyd, grandchildren, Madelyn Paige Lloyd, and Mason Cruz Lloyd, all of Woodstock, Georgia.  His is also survived by his two older brothers and older sister, Peter Hart Cruz Jr. (wife- Mary Cruz) and John Paul Cruz of Choctaw, Oklahoma, and Brenda Ann (Cruz) Acebedo of San Diego, California. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, and dear friends.  May he always be remembered for his kind and giving heart and incredible sense of humor.

A Burial by the Sea Memorial Service will be held in San Diego, California on Saturday, August 3, 2019, at 2:00 PM. Please RSVP to Shannon Lloyd ( shanlloyd@yahoo.com ) ASAP to confirm your attendance as there will be very limited space on the yacht. Please visit Information for Guests for important information regarding the service.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a tax-deductible donation in Rick's name to the American Diabetes Association, http://www.diabetes.org/ , whose mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. May he rest in peace.