Andrew Garcia Ruiz was born on November 5, 1948 in the town of Bryan, Texas. He was the son of Victoria and Eliseo Ruiz and brother to one sister, Adelina and two brothers, Arthur and Alfredo Ruiz.

Andrew passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones on Tuesday, September 24th in Dallas, Texas.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 44 years, Rosa Ruiz; his son, Andrew Aron Ruiz; three daughters, Priscilla Moreno, Marilyn Ramos, and Victoria Ruiz; their spouses, Ruby Ruiz, Daniel Moreno, Chris Ramos; and a grandson, Noah Ramos.

Andrew was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1966 at the age of 18 and had a strong zeal for Bible truths from early on.

It wasn't enough for Andrew to know where a scripture was - he committed hundreds of Bible verses to memory so that they could sustain him during challenging times in his life.

One such challenge was his incarceration for being a conscientious objector to military service during the Vietnam war. But if you asked him, this was a joyous time in his life because they fed him well, he could read the Bible, and continue to preach to others in prison.

Much of Andrew's life was centered around the ministry, and he served as a full-time minister until his last day. He would tell you one of the joys of his life was helping the many students he studied with learn Bible truths. Andrew was a fisher of men, and his lure of choice? The Bible.

But, do you know what he would say was his most rewarding catch? Her name was Rosa.

Andrew met Rosa in 1977 and unable to resist his charm and resemblance to Elvis Presley, after much perseverance and many serenades of Elvis' greatest hits, she agreed to marry him and they were wed on October 11, 1980.

Andrew and Rosa were married for nearly 44 years, and spent much of their married life together pioneering when possible, conducting Bible studies together, raising their family and in his later years, spending time with their grandson Noah, who called Andrew "Pops".

A highlight of Andrew's life was his family. If you get a chance, ask his son Aron about the many hand ball battles they waged at the school yard, or Priscilla about her Friday service days with her dad. Ask Marilyn about watching the playoffs - they are huge San Antonio Spurs fans. Or ask Vicki about the hair sessions where she received matching pompadours; like father like daughter.

Andrew enjoyed his life, but he firmly believed that the best was yet to come. Up until his last day, Andrew focused on Jehovah's promises for the future - living in perfection in a beautiful earthly paradise. This is the hope that he longed for himself, his family, and as many people as possible. He will be missed as we patiently await that time.