- Date Of Birth: June 5, 1926
- Date Of Death: December 16, 2020
- State: Maryland
Leon A. Ruiz, 94, of Waldorf, MD passed away peacefully at the Sagepoint Nursing
home in La Plata, MD on December 16, 2020 in the company of his daughter.
Leon was born in Colombia, South America on June 5, 1926 He was the
oldest child with 9 siblings and raised in the Catholic faith.
He was married to the love of his life Nelly, celebrating 58 years of marriage. Nelly
predeceased him in December 2011. He is survived by three loving sons Antonio,
Ernesto, and Alberto; and three loving daughters Sonia, Maria Teresa, and Sofia. He
was blessed with 16 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Leon and his wife
were immigrants who were very proud to become US citizens and imparted that
pride to their children and grandchildren who all reside in the US living the American
dream contributing to and serving our great country.
Leon worked for many years as an electrician and industrial electric motor mechanic
at pharmaceutical and industrial bottling plants and later in the local industry in New
York until his retirement in 1990.
Leon’s pride and joy was his wife and family, and he enjoyed life to the fullest dedicated to fixing things electrical or mechanical around his home and those of his children. As he was raised in humble beginnings, he was always fascinated by electricity and motors which is what he learned as a trade technician. As a result of his influence and his dedication to having his children obtain an education, all of them are professionals with five of them obtaining college degrees in engineering and business, including one with a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering.
Leon was a loving family man with a generous, and loving heart. He loved to help
people who needed his help fixing anything electrical or mechanical. He enjoyed
Colombian food from home cooked meals or from the many Colombian restaurants
in New York city. His favorite dish was the “Bandeja Paisa,” a hearty dish usually
consumed by Colombian peasants after a day of hard work in the coffee and
banana plantations. His children remember him watching science documentaries
and reading science magazines, acquiring knowledge was his passion. When he
was in elementary school he read the whole book collection in the school library.
He instilled a love of reading in all his children and grandchildren. All his
grandchildren remember seeing their “abuelito” with a flashlight and giving them out
as gifts. He was fascinated by them, especially when the LED light bulbs and
flashlights came on the market. After his retirement, he dedicated his life to his wife
and helping his children with the next generation of grandchildren.
remembrance when the pandemic passes later in 2021.
