Louis "Peanut" Ruiz, Jr.

Louis Antonio Ruiz Jr., “Peanut”, passed away peacefully at his home in Temple, Texas on January 22, 2022, at the age of 61. He bravely fought diabetes and heart disease, through this battle he always relied on his strong faith in Jesus Christ his Lord and Savior. Louis will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

Louis was born on August 21, 1960, in Buffalo, New York to parents Louis Antonio Ruiz Sr. and Marcella Olivares Ruiz. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Temple, TX where Louis lived most of his life. Growing up, he was raised in the Catholic church, serving as an altar boy at Our Lady of Guadalupe. He had the most generous soul and would help anyone in need; this included volunteering at the local St. Vincent de Paul. Louis worked in construction and food management and when he wasn’t working, fishing was his passion. He mostly enjoyed the times fishing with his dad, children, and grandchildren. One of their best fishing adventures involved Louis catching tires and a boot while everyone else caught all the fish. He also really enjoyed barbecuing and would gladly feed anyone that came around. He was kind to all and never met a stranger.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother Richard Suarez and his niece Jaqueline “Jackie” McCall.

He is survived by his children Robert Louis Ruiz and Susan (Mike) Groeneveld; grandchildren Stephen Paulsen, Kaiden Paulsen, Dominic Ruiz, Antonio Ruiz, and Sophia Ruiz; his sisters Linda (Michael) Ruiz McCall and Rose (Vince) Manning, nieces Alexandra McCall and Lena McCall and great niece Lily Johnson. His greatest joy was his family and being a grandpa and uncle.

Visitation will be held at Harper-Talasek Funeral Home in Temple on Monday, January 31, 2022, from 5 to 7 pm with a rosary at 6 pm. Louis’ funeral mass will be held Tuesday, February 1, 2022, at 10 am at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Temple. Burial will be in Bellwood Memorial Park & Cemetery.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to the staff and caregivers at Scott & White Memorial Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for taking care of Louis during his time there.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at ssvpusa.org/donate.