Honoring Ernesto Cruz

Ernesto had many families.

 

There was his immediate family where he was a doting son, loving father, and devoted husband. There was his PALY family where he was Campus Supervisor at Palo Alto High School caring for all its students and staff daily and the former girls' varsity coach. There was his Alpine Strikers family where he was a youth soccer coach for 17 years and instilled confidence and a love for the game in so many kids. There was his El Salvadorean family where he was born and frequently returned with donations of soccer gear to support local youth clubs. To Ernesto, we were all his family, with his common greeting of "My Brother" or "My Bella."

 

Unfortunately, Ernesto passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, March 19, 2022, from a heart attack.

 

We have started a memorial fundraiser in honor of Ernesto, on behalf of his wife, Lissie, to support his family with covering the cost of funeral expenses, his daughter's college tuition, and his mother's care. His family was not prepared to lose Ernesto so early in life and during this difficult time we are reaching out to the community for help.

 

Please see two inspiring and touching articles from the Paly Voice and Verde Magazine on Ernesto's legacy. To hear Ernesto's voice again, listen to this interview from 2013 from Alpine Strikers where he touches on his love of coaching.

 

Please consider donating if you can, as any amount will truly help. It would mean a lot if you could share Ernesto’s funeral fundraiser with others whose lives he touched.

 

We will keep the community posted on plans for Ernesto's funeral services and a Celebration of Life service hosted by Alpine Strikers for the broader community in the coming weeks.

 

Thank you so much for your consideration,

 

Ernesto's Alpine Strikers Family