Guillermo Ruiz

It is with profound sadness that the family of Guillermo Ruiz announce his peaceful passing on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, at the age of 75. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 48 years, Guillermina; children: Adriana (Christopher) Eklund, Rafael (Berenice) Ruiz, Marcela (Tim) Nicholson, and Mellissa (Tim) Ruiz Brown, along with his sisters, Angelina Miljus, Cynthia (Michael) Haggerty, Elsa (David) Osorio, and brother Rafael Ruiz. He was a proud and devoted grandfather to Alejandro, Ella, Sofia, Emma, Mia, Emmett, Will, Bodie and Olivia. He was proceeded by his father, Rafael, his mother, Ana Maria, and his sister, Victoria. Guillermo was born in Ixtlan, Michoacán Mexico on September 16, 1945, to Rafael and Ana Maria (Estrada) Ruiz. On August 26, 1972, he married Guillermina (Vega) Ruiz in Ecuandureo, Michoacán, Mexico. Guillermo graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Instituto Politecnico Nacional on March 15th 1977 and worked for the Ciudad de Victoria, Tamaulipas Mexico for 3 years. In 1978, the family emigrated from Mexico to East Chicago, Indiana where Guillermo worked at General Mills. In 1984, Guillermo took a job with Ocean Spray and his family moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin. Guillermo retired from Abbott Laboratories in 2012 and after 33 years of living in Kenosha, moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin. Guillermo had a lifelong passion for traditional Mexican Ranchera music, inspiring the creation of his Fantasia Musical Show, where he sang Ranchera songs dressed in traditional Charro outfits. Fantasia Musical Show allowed him to perform and share his beloved music and culture with others throughout Wisconsin and Illinois for over a decade. He came alive performing for audiences small and large, and audiences in turn, were captivated by his charisma, voice and performance. Guillermo also had a passion for enjoying life by spending time with his family, traveling, or enjoying a good tequila or red wine. At Guillermo's request, no service will be held; instead a celebration of his life will be held at a later date. Memorial donations may be made in the name of Guillermo Ruiz to Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation Inc./Mexican Fiesta, 2997 S. 20th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53215 or www.mexicanfiesta.org and in the note section please indicate in memory of Guillermo Ruiz. The family wishes to send a special thank you to the staff at the Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital for their care and compassion.