Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com
As many of y’all know, we lost a beloved member of the Dem/progressive AZ family on Monday morning, when Manny Cruz passed away after battling cancer. Manny came into our lives in 2010 when he ran for State Mine Inspector on a platform of securing the multiple abandoned mines dotting Arizona so that no more children would lose their lives from falling in them while out playing. He didn’t win (because 2010 sucked ass) but continued his nonprofit efforts to close unsafe abandoned mines. He then ran for Mayor of Glendale, made it to the runoff, and lost the general election by only a few points. From the moment Manny got involved in politics, he was viewed as a rising star – talented, eloquent, and immensely likable.
And everyone who loved Manny loves his family just as much. His mom Sally was Manny’s volunteer coordinator and adopted me as her daughter on the spot when she learned my own mother wasn’t alive anymore. Sally impressed local politicos so much that she was snapped up by Greg Stanton for his Phoenix Mayor race and is now working on Terry Goddard’s campaign for AZ Secretary of State. Manny’s wife Valerie is the life of every party and has maintained her crackling wit on Facebook as she and their five kids make the necessary arrangements.
Speaking of which: As you might imagine, the family took a hard financial hit with Manny’s illness and funerals are expensive. If you’re in Phoenix the service will be held Friday, May 16 at noon at the Greenwood Memory Lawn Serenity Chapel, 719 North 27th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ. 85009. But wherever you are if you can help with the expenses you can do so at US BANK, account #151705659101. Thanks.