Jesus Rendon "Jesse" Ruiz

A requiem mass for Mr. Jesus Rendon ""Jesse" Ruiz, age 77, of Buffalo, Texas will be held 11:30 A.M., Thursday, December 22, 2022 at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church, Buffalo, Texas. Fr. John Mary Bowlin, will officiate the service. A committal service will follow in Buffalo Cemetery, Buffalo, Texas. A visitation will be held Wednesday, December 21, 2022 from 6 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. with a rosary following from 7:30 P.M. to 8 P.M. at Walters' Buffalo Funeral Home, Buffalo, Texas.

Jesse Ruiz was born to Guadalupe Ruiz and Consuela Rendon December 5, 1945 in Valera, Coleman County, Texas. He retired as a journeyman from TU Electric and was a faithful member of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church.

Jesse grew up in Slaton, Texas and was the son of migrant farmers. He left school at an early age to help his family work in the fields. Although he had to leave school at an early age, he committed himself to a life of learning and was often referred to by anyone who knew him as one of the wisest men they had ever met. At 19 years old, while working in west Texas with his family, he met the love of his life, Gloria. From there sparked one of the greatest love stories ever told. He and Gloria would later have 2 children, Johnny and Michelle. They moved from the Lubbock area in 1976 and made their home in Buffalo. Jesse was first employed at Champion Mobile Homes, then was hired at TU (Big Brown) in Fairfield where he retired nearly 30 years later. He was known for his work ethic and good attitude. During those years, he met and maintained friendships that lasted his lifetime. He made it a point to reach out and check on his friends as often as he could. He never failed at lending anyone a helping hand if they needed it. He was a self-taught mechanic and knew construction well. He could build anything and everything, and mostly for others, not himself. He was always learning and perfecting his old or new craft. Jesse never met a stranger and often came home with stories of who he met that day. He gave everyone his time. That was one of his most beloved traits. He was never too busy for anyone.

Jesse had many loves. God, Gloria, his children and grandchildren, traveling, music and his dogs. As a grandparent, he was known to many as Pops. He was everyone’s Pops. He was the Pops who made sure he had plenty of gum in his pocket for the basketball girls before each game, the one who would wait at the school bus on out-of-town games to deliver homemade brownies or taquitos. He brought endless lunches to school and made sure everyone had some cash, air in their tires, and gas in their cars. He made the best pancakes around and it was a treat for him to feed anyone who would come for breakfast. As a parent, he was even better. The word “lucky” barely scratches the surface of having him as a father. He loved his family unconditionally and always provided a safe place of peace and love. You never felt lost in his presence. He was more humble than words can explain, never putting himself first.

If you knew Jesse, you know he loved music. He was an extremely talented musician. He played the guitar, bass guitar, harmonica, piano, and the accordion. He played every instrument by ear and loved to entertain. He was part of the family band and was a member of the church choir and loved his church family immensely. During Thanksgiving he played his accordion for 3 solid days in a row, pushing through pain and gifting his family with his music. He said he wanted to make more good memories. He was all about the memories, and he made a ton.

Jesse lived an excessively active lifestyle. In his 40’s he was an avid runner, running 10 miles a day for many years. Most don’t know but Jesse practiced karate and was a 2nd degree brown belt in Taekwondo. He was nicknamed “Mr. Miyagi” and he was proud of that. He took his health seriously but, despite his diligent efforts to remain healthy, he was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in 2014. This changed the next 7 years and the trajectory of his life. On February 16, 2016, 15 short months after being diagnosed with IPF, Jesse received a double lung transplant. It was a pivotal moment and the beginning of an amazing post-transplant journey. It was a God given answer to months of misery and suffering. His donor was named Jenna and if you knew Jesse, you know he honored her every day since. Every conversation and Facebook post he talked about his gratitude and how honored he was to have a second chance at life. He frequently sang songs on his guitar just trying to make others feel better. To have hope and faith and to believe that God was in control. Jesse became a part of the donor family and vice versa. It was a beautiful relationship that deeply touched him. Jenna was a social worker, so it was fitting that Jesse was the recipient of those lungs since he lived a life of such service to others. He advocated for Donate Life to encourage others to give the gift of life through organ donation.

Jesse was told he would live up to 5 years after his lung transplant, however, he lived 6 years, 10 months, and 2 days. He did not waste a single minute of that extra life. He and his wife used that time to travel the country to either see family or just to go sight see. His biggest joy was seeing the birth of his 2 great grandchildren. Something he never thought he would be lucky enough to see.

Jesse had a favorite saying when someone would ask how he was. He would often say “Well, I’m still vertical” and every day he would say “God is good, all is well with my soul, and it doesn’t cost a dime to be kind.” These were words he lived by. His last words were to his daughter “God knows what he is doing.” An insurmountable vision of faith was who he was.

Jesse was diagnosed with cancer on November 16, 2022 and passed away on Sunday December 18th. He left on a beautiful and bright Sunday morning, his favorite day of the week and also the same day that Jenna left.

Although he will be greatly missed, he will be remembered for all the good that he was. His journey through this life was one of pure greatness. Jesse did it all right. A small guy with a huge heart. His faith and love for God and Jesus Christ was immeasurable.

If you could look up to the heavens today and ask him “Hey, Jesse, how are you?” he could still say “God is good and I’m still vertical!”

Jessie was preceded in death by his mother Consuelo Ruiz; father, Guadalupe Ruiz; brothers, Benito Ruiz, Pete Ruiz, Pablo Ruiz, and Steve Ruiz and sisters, Sarah, Manuela, Maria and his organ donor, Jenna.

Surviving family members include wife, Gloria Gonzales Ruiz of fifty-seven years; son, Johnny Ruiz and wife, Teresa of Mexia, Texas; grandchildren, Haleigh Ruiz and John Caleb Ruiz of Roundrock, Texas, Reyna Ramirez, Marissa Hunt and husband, Chandler, Nathan Jones, and extended daughter, Courtney Boatright; daughter, Michelle Robinson and husband, Ronnie of Buffalo, Texas; granddaughters, Kaila Bohannon and husband, Rhett of New Braunfels, Texas, Emily Grissett of Webster, Texas, Allison Grissett of Tucson, Arizona, Alayna Grissett of Buffalo; great-grandson, Reid Charles Bohannon and great-granddaughter, Parker Sloan Bohannon. He is also survived by sister, Josie Valdez and husband Dan from Fort Worth, sister Teresa Guerra and husband Tony of Slaton, Texas, Brothers Tony Ruiz and wife Maria from Lubbock, and Lupe Ruiz and wife Frances of Slaton, Texas

Pallbearers: Jeff Gonzales, Matt Gonzales, Lane Freeman, Lupe Avalos, Jacob Gonzales, Marcus Gonzales

Honorary Pallbearers: Fred Gonzales, Daniel Gonzales, Henry Gonzales, Sean Hopkins, Kade Young, Richie Gonzales, John Gallegos, all TU Electric co-workers to Jesse.

Arrangements are under the direction of Walters' Buffalo Funeral Home, Buffalo, Texas.