Richard was born on April 20, 1937, in Bakersfield, California to Helen and Longino De La Cruz. After relocating to Fresno with his family, Richard graduated from Edison High School, with the class of 1956. Shortly after graduation, Richard enlisted in the Navy, but was honorably discharged due to medical reasons. While in his 20’s residing in San Jose, California, Richard began work with the General Motors Company, based in Hayward. His contributions were instrumental in the fabrication of the first of many automobiles coming from the Hayward facility. For a brief period, Richard relocated his family to Everett, Washington where he worked as a welder for the Boeing Company. For many years and prior to his retirement, Richard was also employed with FMC, a military defense corporation based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Richard took enormous pride in welding the trim vanes on the Bradley tank, the Army’s first fully armored, fully tracked defense vehicle to carry infantry into close contact with the enemy.
During his marriage to his first wife, Lorraine Trejo, they went on to have three children: Debra, Richard Jr., and Linda. In his second marriage, to Mary Jane Adame, they shared three children together: Alfred, Monica and Michelle.
Throughout Richard’s life, he had a passion for music. Through dedicated self-instruction and practice, he became an accomplished guitarist. Richard would spend hours, going late into the night, with family and friends playing the guitar and singing Spanish songs. Until his passing, music was always abundant in his life. Later in life, that love of music and performing led him down the Karaoke path. One thing is for certain, he was always ready, willing, and eager, to sing at any and every Karaoke hot spot, often with his nephew Matthew. When he wasn’t singing, Richard spent much of his final time remodeling and working on his Florida home, before recently relocating back to California with his daughter Monica and son in-law, Brian. It didn’t matter what town, city, or state Richard lived in, everyone fondly knew him for his outgoing personality, his love for music, and his Karaoke performances.
Richard was predeceased by his father, Longino De La Cruz, mother, Helen Cervantes and two brothers, Longino De La Cruz, Jr., and Jimmy De La Cruz. He also was tragically predeceased by his two children Debra Chavez and Linda Martinez. He is survived by his two sons Richard De La Cruz, Jr. and Al De La Cruz, his two daughters Monica Everson and Michelle Harris, his brother Daniel Cervantes, twelve grandchildren (Celestino, Jeremy, Adrian, Gloria, Karina, Selena, Stephanie, Jaclyn, Michael, Nicholas, Jordan, and Lauren), as well as nine great-grandchildren.
Services will be held at Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home at 836 E. Nees Ave., Fresno, CA on April 27, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.
