Carmen Ruiz, 66

March 19, 2017

Life is short. But life, has never been measured by the time we spend here on earth, but what we do with that time granted, the people that we meet and the good deeds we are able to perform, on our way to meet our Maker.

In this passage, we will share our thoughts about a great person and a great spirit that was here with us for a short time, yet her mark on this earth was huge. While we celebrate her life, we have to admit that we will miss her, every day, every night, when the sun rises, the sun goes down, the birds sing, the showers come, the spring bring us flowers and when the winter brings us the cold.

Carmen Ruiz Santiago de Vazquez was God’s gift to us on September, 1950. She returned to our maker in March 2017. In her short time with us she did a lot and she came across many that learned to respect her, appreciate her, admired her and loved her.

She was the daughter of Herminio Ruiz Freitez, from Barrio Coto Sur, Manati, Puerto Rico and a Veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He is 92 and still giving “hell” to all those who come across him, in Puerto Rico.

Many of Carmen’s values came from her mother, Ana Maria Santiago Elias, from Vega Alta, Puerto Rico. Those values were very important to Carmen such as helping those who were less fortunate, getting the best education you can get, even if it is just from reading books on your own, or going to the library, or even going to the second-hand store to find reading material. She loved learning about plants and gardens and she knew all the flowers by name.

When Carmen met someone, she made a mental note of what was needed or wanted and somehow, without offending you, she would find a way to be of service to you and help you to maximize your potential, get better if you were sick, get emotional support, if that was what you needed or get you help economically. Somehow the help arrived and it was all done with love and without expectations.

Carmen, sometimes would have two or three jobs at the same time, to push herself and her family forward. She did it all without complaining, knowing that things would be better in the future for all. Her values of hard work are evident in her children, who believe in working hard to move ahead without fear or second thoughts. Those values took her to the police academy and a career in policing. She did it all. She cleaned houses and commercial buildings, professionally. She worked in the solar panel industry and in Mental Health and Mentally disabled. But her favorite career was as a “registered nurse” working with the elderly and with children. To get her degree in nursing, she had to sacrifice, working during the day and going to school at night, while trying to be the best “mother” she could be.

Her career in nursing took her to private homes, helping those that were home-bound, and dealing with children that were disadvantage, in need of medical care. She became an expert in the GPS system to get around, without the advantage of the computers. Her hand touched many, like Jesus, taking care of the sick and helpless, and doing it all without judgment. She was a great role model for all of us.

In her short time here with us, she managed to be the owner of 5 homes, yet somehow, she always considered herself, poor. Upon her death, she was debt free and she was always checking her credit rating to make sure that there was nothing in the report that would place a stain on her character. But she did not have to worry, for all was good.

Carmen was a fighter. When she found herself in a corner, she would make a plan of action and she would follow that plan until she found the way out. This is best illustrated with her experience and challenge with the City of Lancaster. Carmen, all of us who loved her called her Linda, a nickname given to her by her brother Efrain, when he was a young boy.

Linda’s home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was in a neighborhood transitioning from and elderly community composed mostly of Italian and Germans to more of a mixed community of newcomers from others parts of the country, and mostly from New York. With the change, came the drugs, the gangs, and the guns. The police got to know my sister by name. The Mayor of Lancaster, would see my sister coming and would hide. Every state and federal agency was notified of the problem and Carmen pressed them to fix the problem.

When they were too slow to react and to take care of the problem Linda attended an auction of a home abandoned, next to her and purchased the home with a credit card for $10,000.01. The city gave her a year to renovate the home, but she did it in 8 months. She sold her two homes and left the community and paid cash for her next and final home. I tell this story, because she was so proud. Her plan was to exit the community in 5 years, It took her 7. She never gave up, until she was out.

Her best accomplishment, in her own words, was the goodness in her children and grandchildren. She loved them all, unconditionally, and tried to do the best she could for all of them.

We will miss Carmen “Linda”, her person, her kindness, her words, her wisdom, her courage, her good will, her dedication to helping others, her respect for others, and her never ending love for her family, for her friends, and her country. May she rest in Peace.