Ray Cruz (RIP)

Stuart Sandler
Stuart Sandler Posts: 384
in Miscellaneous News
via Jim Lyles - To my type design friends, I learned this afternoon that the talented type designer Ray Cruz passed away March 26, 2025. He was a fine person, and loved teaching his craft and mentoring young designers. I think we met at the first TypeCon! Send up a nice thought to a nice man.

Ray’s obituary can be found here: https://www.easternshorecremation.com/obituaries/Ramon-Cruz?obId=40148096

Comments

  • Ray Larabie
    Ray Larabie Posts: 1,452
    I'm so sorry to hear of his passing. I met him at TypeCon all those years ago and he was so nice.
  • Kent Lew
    Kent Lew Posts: 984
    I also met Ray Cruz and would see him annually at TypeCons back in the day. Sorry to hear of his passing. R. I. P.
  • Stephen Coles
    Stephen Coles Posts: 1,013
    edited March 31
    Ray was one of the first people I met at TypeCon and was always warm and friendly. He was also one of the last people I know to call himself a “type director” and truly continue to do that work long after the profession mostly faded.
  • Stephen Coles
    Stephen Coles Posts: 1,013
    edited April 1
    Ray Cruz on Typeradio. The first few seconds reveal what a humble, goodhearted man he was.
  • John Nolan
    John Nolan Posts: 54
    Like many here, I met him at an early TypeCon. Friendly, warm man. R.I.P.
  • Thomas Phinney
    Thomas Phinney Posts: 2,969
    I knew him mostly through ATypI and TypeCon conferences. Always such a warm, down-to-earth fellow.
  • Peter Bain
    Peter Bain Posts: 13
    This is sad news. I don't recall when or where I first met him in NYC. He was always approachable and generous with his time. When he was a type director at Young & Rubicam, I was happy to be his designated fill-in when he was out. Some old promotional sheets show his corporate alphabets included Camel cigarettes, PeoplExpress airlines, and Pillsbury Foods; plus final artwork for many wordmarks.
  • John Butler
    John Butler Posts: 310
    Ray Cruz hired me to work on the OpenType programming for his Cruz Grafica fonts back in the early 2000s, through a referral from Ralph at Phil’s Fonts, if I recall. Ray was gracious and generous. I think I finally met him in person at a TypeCon, but my memory of that era is blurry now. He’s one of those relentlessly positive people. Everyone knows a handful of such people, and yet they remain rare.
  • Nick Shinn
    Nick Shinn Posts: 2,260
    A fabulous career—at the centre of the Mad Men era.
    Talented and lucky guy, and he deserved it.
  • Mark Simonson
    Mark Simonson Posts: 1,747
    I met Ray at TypeCon as well, and I would hang out with him quite a bit when he attended. I remember at TypeCon NYC in 2005 he did a presentation in which he did lettering in the air with light. I seem to recall his son was involved.

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