SEE ARTICLE POSTED IN THE EXPRESS-NEWS AT END OF THIS COLUMN.
From: Frank Alvarado Jr. [mailto:sa3135@satx.rr.com]
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 12:54 PM
The visitation and funeral mass have been moved up one day.
Visitation starts Tuesday at 1:00 PM until 9:00 PM.
Visitation on Wednesday begins at 8:30 AM until 9:00 PM with a Rosary at
7:00 PM.
at St Gabriel Catholic Church.
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From a daughter of Cruz Morua : From: Mari Gonzales [mailto:marimgonz@yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2008 11:57 AM
Final arrangements are pending. Will let you know specific's as they are known.
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Cruz Morua is very ill and is at home, 939 SW 38th, SATX. 78237.
Phone # 210- 436 - 9263. He has cancer and is under Hospice care.
It was his request, he be taken home to spend time with his family.
At this time he is alert and recognizes people and friends. Spoke with his daughter today to get update on his condition. She welcomes friends to drop by and visit with him because it seems to cheer him up.
Lets keep Cruz in our Prayers. Armando Ynostrosa,
Retired SAPD - 2000
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He was so respected in his job at the Police Department that up until his final retirement in 2004, police departments throughout the United States and even Central and South America recruited him to teach them his techniques. Morua was also a family man who loved to paint and garden. Along with his wife of 38 years, he doted on his children and grandchildren. He died of complications related to cancer Saturday at 63. Born and raised in San Antonio, Morua graduated from Edgewood High School in 1964. With the Vietnam War looming, he decided to enlist in the Air Force, where he became a sergeant in charge of maintaining helicopters and airplanes. After leaving the military four years later, Morua married his longtime sweetheart, Mary Rachel. Growing up, she had lived one house away from Morua. Morua also decided to pursue a dream he had held since childhood: He was going to be a police officer. He applied, was accepted to the police academy and started working the streets in 1969. Eventually, he received an associate's degree from San Antonio College. He was only a few credits away from achieving a bachelor's degree. For the next 35 years, Morua worked in one capacity or another for the Police Department while still finding time to serve the community and dote on his daughters. After a few years of patrol work, Morua was tapped to become a latent prints officer in 1973. He headed to crime scenes to collect tough-to-find prints and analyze them back at headquarters. His files are full of commendations for his hard work in helping to solve crimes, said daughter Maricruz Morua-Gonzales. "It was a challenge for him. He could help people in a way that he couldn't as a patrol officer," Morua-Gonzales said. Morua received special certifications from the FBI and helped bring a new high-tech fingerprint analysis system to the Police Department. Morua officially retired as a police officer at the end of 1994. But he stayed with the force, continuing to work as a civilian in his old job. After suffering a series of strokes and undergoing bypass surgery, Morua retired for good in 2004. It came as a shock to his family when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January. And although doctors initially believed he had six to nine months to live, his decline was rapid. "He helped me to become a man," said grandson Matthew Morua, 18. "He's the reason why I'm so strong and I have a big heart. It's because of him." Obituary: Morua's fingerprint expertise sought throughout the Americas
Web Posted: 02/17/2008 10:32 PM CST
For years, Cruz Morua was known as a top-notch police officer and one of San Antonio's few experts in fingerprint analysis.
Cruz Morua Born: April 9, 1944, in San Antonio
Died: Feb. 16, 2008, in San Antonio
Survived by: His wife, Mary Rachel Morua; daughters Maricruz Morua-Gonzales, Kimberly Ann Morua and Jane Morua-Rodriguez; and four grandchildren, all of San Antonio.
Services: A funeral Mass at St. Gabriel Catholic Church and burial at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery are scheduled for Thursday. Times have not been determined.
Reflections From One Of Our Brothers in Blue
ReplyDeleteFrom: FRAUSTO, RAYMOND L [mailto:RAYMOND.FRAUSTO@dfps.state.tx.us]
Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2008 9:12 PM
To: Morua family
Subject: Deepest Sympathy
Hello, I am so sorry to hear your Dad had passed away. I had moved away from San Antonio last January, and have little contact with the retirees until recently. I work in Dallas for CPS, and make few trips into San Antonio.
You have my deepest sympathy during this time. I really enjoyed working with your Dad, and enjoyed working with him from 1975 to 1989. He taught me a lot about fingerprints, and I always felt inferior to his knowledge and ability to make identifications. I found out early on, that our God had placed his imprint on what we call; our Fingerprints.
It was a pleasure to sit and discuss the motives for God's wisdom in confounding the wise, and helping us in exposing criminals guilty of crimes. I always felt that the ability to read, identify and comprehend the magnitude of such a God given tool was a blessing to those who would work with fingerprints in their lives.
It takes a special person to understand and have the patience to study such minute detail. Your father was one of those people, but more than that, he was a special one of those people. Those of which were given a special responsibility to excel in the profession and become known as a Fingerprint Expert, Teacher.
He loved the profession, and gained the respect of hundreds of his peers throughout his career. He was awarded numerous certificates and awards for his work, and was a very interesting person to have as a friend.
His greatest love, and dedication came at the sound of his children, grandchildren and family. He loved you the best, above all he could ever be in any profession. He was so proud of your accomplishments, your education and each of your children.
He epitomized the meaning of a loving grandfather to me. He was equally proud of each one of you. May your current sorrow be tempered by the fact that he shared his gift with many others, and gave many a chance and opportunity to reach their potential in their lives.
Equally important to him were our discussions about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He felt very fortunate to be given a second and third chance many years ago, to live a longer life. He felt fortunate, blessed and overjoyed to be able to spend more time with his family.
He believed God had looked over him while he went through illnesses and hard moments in his life. He expressed his Salvation, and belief in Jesus, and like all of us, looked forward to one day arriving in Glory.
While we live, it is hard for us to imagine leaving our loved ones behind, but when entering into Glory after death, we quickly understand how God's hand is always working in our lives. He understood that in the realm of Heaven, there is no pain, there is no sorrow, and no tears. Only the Glory of being in the presence of God and his Son.
At this time, know that Cruz and I discussed at length on many occasions, the profound meaning of death, and life in Jesus Christ. We discussed the looking forward to the afterlife, and the promise of one day being united with those who have gone on before us, and those that would follow us afterwards. His personal knowledge of our Lord presented him with a peace in his later years, that only the mercy of God can provide us with.
May God Bless all of you,
A Friend,
Ray Frausto
Randomly I just began looking through web pages with my father's name in them and I came across these notices, comments, more like memories...lol
ReplyDeleteI got the same warmth that I did the first time I read these unfortunately the same pain in my heart as well, we have learned to live day by day without him and our mom which we lost February 19, 2010 due to complications of a quadruple heart bypass(know to us three as a broken heart). Just like my father it was one month and ten days not of suffering but of her life here on earth she was only able to bare two years and three days but somehow we were ok with it my dad showed us many signs of being by her side and my mom was miserable without him here but also torn because leaving would mean their three girls would be left without either of them, but just as she promised my dad she waited until I was married having us three being taken care of was their goal. Today we still feel them very much alive especially being able to find articles like this we know my father did many great things and accomplished so much but it just feels so good to know that others were just as proud of his doings. Thank you once again to everyone your comforting words and prayers helped us through one of the most difficult times in our lives and for that we will always be thankful!!!