Carmen Gomez

Mrs. Carmen Maria Gomez-Cruz was born in Guayama (Pueblo de los Brujos) Puerto Rico on December 13, 1927 … At age 94, she passed away peacefully after a 17-year battle with dementia … She entered Heaven’s gates on March 23, 2022.

A loving mother and domestic engineer, she was a remarkable cook and enjoyed preparing meals for her family, friends, and social events.  Her “arroz con pollo” was always the talk of the town and if this dish would have competed in the Olympics---she would have won the gold medal every time.

In her early years, Carmen was an active member of her Manhattan and Brooklyn communities.  She served in numerous leadership positions preserving and instilling Puerto Rico’s culture.  In the 1960’s into the 1970s, she donated her time and support to programs sponsoring Puerto Rican Heritage events and the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.  In the 1970s through the early 1980’s, she worked for the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration Office to promote social, economic, and public policy initiatives to achieve a better quality of life for Puerto Rican citizens living in New York.  One of her fondest moments was when she served on a committee to support Mr. Herman Badillo when he sought the Democratic nomination for Mayor of New York in 1973.

She was predeceased by her husband of 60+ years, Manuel Gomez who hailed from San Lorenzo Puerto Rico.  She was also predeceased by her daughter Grace Torres, mother Josefa Anaya, father Mercedes Cruz, four sisters (Rosalyn Cruz, Demetria “Dennys” Cruz, Ana Diaz, and Alicia Aguilar), two brothers (Antonio Cruz and Elliot Rivera), and her daughter-in-law Evelyn Gomez.

Mrs. Carmen Gomez is survived by her youngest son David Gomez and his daughter Angie Gomez and her oldest son Manuel Gomez Jr., his wife Eileen Gomez, and their daughters Megan Gomez and Melanie Gomez.

Doña Carmen always told you the truth, even if it wasn’t what you wanted to hear.  Through the years, her words of encouragement, wisdom, comfort, and tough love kept her boys prepared for life’s challenges and opportunities!

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