One of the pioneering elders of the community, Nestor G. Cruz, passed away at the age of 73 at 4:00 in the morning of July 15, 2007.  He and Chit would have celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary on July 29, 2007.  He is survived by his wife, Chita and children Henry, Nelson, Boy, Dennis, Noli, Mercy and 14 grandchildren.
 
Nestor Chita Cruz took their Marriage Encounter Weekend at the Mirador Jesuit Villa in Baguio City on August 12 – 14, 1988.  They were the Coordinator Couple of M.E. Class 36. 

In 1991, Nes and Chit Cruz were among those who readily joined the leaders in organizing the Good Shepherd M.E. Community – B chapter, which is now the Mater Dei M.E. Community.  Nes and Chit  joined the first community choir.  Nes was bass while Chit was soprano.  As the first Chaircouple of the Family Encounter Weekend, they were also members of the first Apostolic Council of the community and the incorporators of the Mater Dei M.E. Community when it was registered with the SEC in 1993.  They also served as Co-Class Shepherd Couple for M.E. Class 86.  Nes was the first encoder of our community.  The fruits of Nes’ dedicated service in the computerization of the community’s record of members beginning from Class No. 1 to 87 became the foundation of the records of the Secretariat.  Nes was also the person in-charge of mailing out the official greeting cards of the community for members who were celebrating their wedding anniversaries.  This he did continuously for many years until the practice was stopped.

Sundays were the longest days for Nes and Chit.  From their new residence at Las Pinas City, they would traverse the South Superhighway in the early hours of the morning to arrive early for the 7:00AM televised Mass at ABS-CBN where Nes served continuously for more than 20 years as Eucharistic Minister.  From there, they would then proceed to their former parish, the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Retiro, Quezon City, where Nes would again minister Holy Communion in the Sunday Mass and bring the Eucharist to the elderly and the sick in the neighborhood. 

At first glance, Nes Cruz would have shown an appearance of a common person.  But his contemporaries in the community know that humility, determination, dedication to his vocation as father and husband and commitment to serve the best way he could make up the essence of his being.