Thomas Ray Cruz
February 27, 1977 – August 17, 2022
Thomas Ray (Mav) Cruz 45, passed away on August 17, 2022. Tom was born on February 27, 1977, at 2:26 a.m. in Panorama City, California. He grew up on Cedros and ultimately on Murietta Ave. in Panorama City, CA. He was educated in the LA Unified School District, attending Chase Elementary, Jr. High, and James Monroe High. After he completed his education, his family relocated to Puerto Rico.
Tom found that the slower island pace of life did not agree with his city boy lifestyle. So he saw the Army as a way off the island and into a life of his own. After his service in the Army, Tom moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he was married for a brief time. While they did not have any children, they enjoyed life together. While in Cleveland, Tom became a Game Technician with Dave & Buster’s, until he was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome. He was also reunited with his childhood love, Christina Marie Joslyn, whom he grew up with in California.
In an effort to help him battle his Nephrotic Syndrome and maintain his fierce desire for independence, his best friend and brother, Aric, helped him move from Ohio to Oregon. He was able to find work with Amazon for a short time before his disease left him unable to work. He loved to work with his hands building things for his home with skills taught to him by his father. He also had a passion for electronics, computers, and networking. When he could he would service other people’s computers under his micro business AbilityPlus PC. Unfortunately, complications with his syndrome prevented the business from flourishing.
Tom formed a deep and long-lasting friendship with Aric Johnson, Michael Fields, and Steven Reese. With these lifelong friends, he played role-playing games, Virtual World BattleTech. He loved movies like Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, Aliens, and of course Star Trek. He attended Star Trek conventions, including the 50th Anniversary Convention in Las Vegas where he was featured in the television show Shipping Wars. He became an Internet Radio DJ with TrekRadio which led to many interviews with actors from multiple Star Trek series, including Garrett Wang, Nichelle Nichols, and Aron Eisenberg. He formed a bond with Aron over the years because Aron also had kidney disease.
After Aron died as a result of his kidney disease Tom began to understand the mortality of his own condition. So he lived his life to the fullest that he could. Enjoying as many passion projects as he could in the time that he had left.
He is survived by his parents Jerry and Phyllis Cruz, his brother Blake, his maternal grandmother Betsy Gonzalez, his partner Christina Joslyn and her children, Courtney, Kiana, and Brandon, whom he loved as his own until the end, as well as a multitude of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who will remember him always.