Johnny Alfred De La Cruz

Johnny Alfred De La Cruz, 61, of Ballinger, Texas passed away on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, at Ballinger Memorial Hospital.

Johnny was born on March 18, 1959, to Julian and Evarista (Galvan) De La Cruz in Tamaulipas, Mexico.  He served honorably in the United States Army, enlisting in July of 1980 in San Antonio, Texas and left the service with an honorable discharge in June of 1983 from Fort Carson, CO.  Johnny also worked as a mechanical engineer for the Department of Justice and retired with 33 years of dedicated service.

Johnny was adventurous from the day he was born.  He loved being outdoors camping, four-wheeling, skiing, hiking, mountain biking and simply enjoying the view. He never turned down a chance to go on a temporary duty assignment (TDY) especially with his closest friends. He had the opportunity to travel to multiple countries throughout the world. He would often tell his grandchildren of his adventures and that he had even visited the North Pole. North Pole, Alaska that is. Besides traveling, Johnny shared his life through his love for music that could only be described as fuel for his soul. He had a stereo in every room, a song for every mood, a lyric for every memory and deep connection with albums that told his story. He loved the wind on his face, the sun on his back, and the peace that allowed his mind to be free as he rode his Harley. His adventures became stories for him to tell anyone who would listen.

If you visited Johnny, you knew he was an expert at using masking tape and aircraft wire to “fix” an array of things to make his life easier. We often joked that he would use the same techniques to fix the airplanes he worked on. He was meticulous and proud that he worked on one of the most feared aircrafts in the United States Air Force, the A-10 “Warthog”.

Lastly, our dad was a collector of a different class. He collected memories. Memories of family, friends, and places. If you gave him something, he accepted it, wrote the date and time and where he was when he received it. For him, it was the fact that you went out of your way to make him feel special and that he mattered. As we packed away his home, we found birthday cards with cash and checks that he never cashed. It was a profound glimpse that allowed us to see what he treasured the most.

In the words of our dad, “Long Live the Ride. Hail Yeah! H-A-I-L Yeah!”

Johnny is preceded in death by his son John Anthony De La Cruz and mother, Jovita De La Cruz.

He is survived by his sister Maria Estella De La Cruz Galván of Zaragoza, Mexico; and his brother Joe Luis De La Cruz of Waco, Texas. Johnny is survived by his children, Eva Marie Rubio and husband Rey Rubio of San Antonio, Texas; John Eric De La Cruz and wife Syria De La Cruz of Georgetown, Texas; and Anthony David De La Cruz and wife Pamela De La Cruz, of San Antonio, Texas. He had seven grandchildren; Mia, John Eric II, Matthew, Haley, Malachi, Alyna, and Anthony David II.

At this time due to the current COVID crisis, services for Johnny will be held at a later date at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.