Richard Ruiz

I dont know if you will see this because it has been 5 years since Dr. Ruizs passing. I am a sign language interpreter at UA and have interpreted many of his classes. All of us in the Sign language department very much enjoyed interpreting his classes because he understood how complicated our job is, but also because he was such a kind man with a wonderful sense of humor. I felt like I was punched in the gut when a learned of his passing, and I feel like a light at the university has been extinguished. I only knew him from classes and department meetings, but he was an extraordinary man. I think you are blessed to know him in personal life, which makes his loss even harder. I wanted you to know how much I loved him even though my interactions were strictly through classes and professional. He had a huge impact on my life. May he Rest In Peace.

Dear Marie, Zach, Daniel and Family,
Just today (10/12/2016), I knew this devastating news, and I'm profoundly saddened of the passing of Dr. Ruiz. There are no words capable of conveying the depth of this tragedy. On behalf of my late wife Sonia Aracely de Rivera (10/23/2015) our deepest condolences go out to you, family and friends. Sonia was Dr. Ruiz's student in 1992-1994 while following her M.A. in Bilingual/Multicultural Education, and Teacher Certification at the University of Arizona's College of Education. Also, we had the honor to meet you at a celebration in your home. Dr. Ruiz was brilliant, interesting, engaging, positive, assertive, insightful yet unpretentious. His passion to teach was matched only by his compassion and great assistance for his students that really made a big difference. While in Colorado, Sonia's ELL 4th grade students just after their transition from Spanish into English language won the 3rd Place statewide on creative writing to commemorate the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Contest in 2009. Consistently, I feel blessed and esteemed that Dr. Ruiz was a wonderful influence in Sonia's educational journey that made her an accomplished elementary teacher for 17 years in Arizona, Colorado and Texas. May he rest in peace and may his family find comfort knowing that he is home. My heart and prayers are with you. At my side, Dr. Ruiz's legacy as a role model continues resonating in my life to fulfill my potential by working hard to achieve superior dreams without settling for less, just only the best. I want to be like him, a great teacher for all seasons, and you have my gratitude! Chorus over 2300 members: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akb0kD7EHIk - Guillermo Rivera
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GOD MADE A GREAT TEACHER
God understood our thirst for knowledge,
and our need to be led by someone wiser;
He needed a heart of compassion, of
encouragement, inspiration and patience;
Someone who would accept the challenge
regardless of the opposition and adversity;
Someone who could see potential with high
expectations and believe in the best in others ...
So He made a Great Teacher.

~ Author Unknown

I knew Richard in high school. We attended William C. Overfelt High School and he was a friend of mine. Over the years I have always wondered what happened to him. I knew he was headed off to Harvard to study French but thought he might have returned to San Jose.

Today, I was search the internet and thought about him. Richard was a GREAT guy even in high school. So, it didn't surprise me to see all the wonderful comments people had to say about him.

Please accept my deepest condolences.

Dear Marie Ruiz,
I'm Theresa Levy, a former Ph. D. student of Richard's, when he was the head of LRC. I just found out about your dear husband's passing, and I wanted to extend my deepest condolences to you and your family. He was such a kind and wise man, and so well-respected as a scholar. We all knew how devoted he was to his family. What a terrible loss. I'm so grateful that he was the head of my dissertation committee, and I really appreciate that he believed in me, and understood just the type of support I needed to succeed. I know his memory will live on in many people's hearts. He's in heaven now, watching over you and your family, and your spirits are always united.
Abundant blessings to you and your loved ones--xox,Theresa (Scionti) Levy

I was a visitor to the Dept. of Mexican-American Studies at for a few weeks last summer. I knew Dr. Ruiz very little but he was most hospitable to me. I've only just now learned of his passing and I'm very surprised and saddened -- and moved by all the tributes to him.

The Arizona Reading Association Board would like to express our sincere condolences to your family, in the passing of Dr. Ruiz. We appreciated all that he did to promote literacy education in our community and in the state of Arizona.

A kind teacher and a teacher of kindness: I can not thank you enough, Dr. Ruiz, for showing me your way towards a less divisive and more inclusive world. May the memory of your words and actions act as a lighthouse and a safe harbor for diversity and social justice to grow stronger, in and out of formal academic settings, in the U,S.A. and everywhere else. /ey/

Richard was so very instrumental in enabling reflective practice among those of us who were blessed with working with him as his students.

Dr. Ruiz had such an influence on me as a student. He held such an amazing balance between kindness and empathy along with an intellectual rigor that challenged us all. His wealth of knowledge on bilingual issues and policies influenced so many of us. He was as gifted in his administrative role as he was in his academic one. He could always be counted on to do this best and keep his word. He breathed life into the word integrity.

My condolences to his family who bears the greatest burden of his loss, and to his colleagues. My prayers and thoughts are with you.

I am going to miss you Dr. Ruiz.

Dear Marie,

I wanted you to know that Richard has been on my mind and heart since his passing. He has also been in my prayers. He was a colleague and friend whom I admired and respected. Although we never talked about it, I know he was a deeply spiritual soul.
I would like to humbly share with you a prayer from my faith tradition on behalf of Richard. My condolences and warmest regards to you and your family.

O my God! O my God! Verily, thy servant, humble before the majesty of Thy divine supremacy, lowly at the door of Thy oneness, hath believed in Thee and in Thy verses, hath testified to Thy word, hath been enkindled with the fire of Thy love, hath been immersed in the depths of the ocean of Thy knowledge, hath been attracted by Thy breezes, hath relied upon Thee, hath turned his face to Thee, hath offered his supplications to Thee, and hath been assured of Thy pardon and forgiveness. He hath abandoned this mortal life and hath flown to the kingdom of immortality, yearning for the favor of meeting Thee.

O Lord, glorify his station, shelter him under the pavilion of Thy supreme mercy, cause him to enter Thy glorious paradise, and perpetuate his existence in Thine exalted rose garden, that he may plunge into the sea of light in the world of mysteries.

Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Powerful, the Forgiver and the Bestower.

As I mentor newcomers to education research i am mindful of how Richard mentored me and so many others. Providing support and encouragement but with intellectual rigor and inquiry. Kindness and inclusiveness. We all have been so fortunate to have been the bebeficiaries of his guidance. Richcard hasn't left us; he is part of us and we will carry what he has taught us forward in all we do. The service yesterday was a beautiful tribute to Richard. Thank you, Marie and Zack, Marina, and Dan and Kate, and all Richard's family for inviting us to participate.

We were blessed to attend such a wonderful and beautiful memorial service today. It was a true tribute to Richard and all the people he touched.

As an advisor, Richard pushed me to become 2nd sibling out of 8 to graduate with a Masters. He remained in touch after I left Tucson and was eager when he learned I enrolled University of Texas at Austin for my PhD. I am saddened not telling Richard right away that I just completed my PhD last May or at least have him read my dissertation. Richard's wisdom will be sorely missed!

It was a blessing to have known Richard and we will miss him greatly.

We were privileged to know Richard as guitarist extraordinaire on the music team at El Oasis church. He was quiet and unassuming as he played like a master. We enjoyed his talent and also his subtle sense of humor. He even preached a sermon or two. He will be greatly missed by all.

Richard and I met in graduate school and reconnected when he came to the University of Arizona. We served on various committees, etc. I'll miss his gentle soul.

Dr. Ruiz was a great boss and mentor. I will miss him dearly.

Dr. Ruiz understood my passion to leave Tucson and do my dissertation alone in a Central Mexico campo. I was looking for answers where the answers were hidden, among the Spanish speakers in rural Mexico. I am sorry that I did not send him a copy of my book, Empowering Spanish Speakers, but I know he was aware that it is now being used in college classrooms, and that I am lecturing in California next month. When other professors thought I was extreme, he did not agree. His message to me was that making a difference often starts at ground level. He was right.

Words of wisdom, act of kindness, ethnical teaching and justice... A Great Professor. He was my professor for a couple of my doctoral classes... he amazed me even more when I received a Sympathy Card from him and the class I was taking when I lost my husband... God Bless Us for having you in our educational Life... and Prayers for strength for your wife and family.

Dr. Ruiz was my advisor. He cared a lot about his students and treated everyone with love and respect. He contributed to build future leaders in this country. His knowledge and experience were valuable to all of us. Dr. Ruiz supported many of us to reach to a higher level in academia. He will be missed. Dr. Ruiz made a history and great people like him will remain always in our hearts and mind.
May George, PhD
Indiana, PA

Richard's passing is a big loss to everyone. Nancy Berge

It is impossible to measure the loss of this great human being. He was a mentor and a role model to me. My prayers are with Marie, Zach, Daniel and the rest of his family.

Dr. Ruiz inspired others to do more than they every thought possible, leading us by his example. Prayers of strength to his family.

Richard was a kind hearted, compassionate, and very student-centered colleague and I will miss talking to him - what a delightful man. Peace to all who loved him.

A valued colleague. He will be missed by us at the College of Education. Condolences to the family and all of those who loved him.

Richard Ruiz was more precious to my presidency than he would ever realize. The commitment to diversity and inclusiveness must be shared by key faculty and the president if enduring progress is to be achieved and I always knew that Richard would be quietly but powerfully advancing from the faculty the same goals that are so deeply embedded in my soul. He was so effective in this role because he was so widely respected for his intellect, his wisdom and his understanding of all kinds of people.

My wife and I knew Richard for over 20 years. While we had occasional differences of opinion on some matters he always was gracious. He leaves a wonderful family.

Thank you Dr. Ruiz for always taking time to share a hello and make us smile down on the first floor.

A wonderful colleague -- a giving person -- to be missed by so many. Sally Stevens

Dr. Richard RuizI cannot believe that he is gone. He was instrumental in my understanding of language policy and bilingual education during my doctoral studies at the University of Arizona in the late 1980s. For me, his NABE article on orientations in language planning (published in 1984) grounded my understanding in how policy toward language works, and the clear influence that orientation toward language has on policy and educational decision-making. This context of orientation toward language (language as problem versus language as right) influenced not only my understanding of language policy and bilingual education, but influenced my work in bilingual education when I began my career as a professor in the Midwest. Through his teaching, and his scholarship, he brought clarity and meaning to the implications that policy has on language learners. I can directly trace my thinking about the role of language in my grant writing efforts and in my work with dual language education in Iowa to my earlier academic preparation with Richard. His impact can be seen in the dual language teachers in Iowa who are native speakers of Spanish, in the native speaker of Spanish who is now the principal of a K-4 dual language school in Iowa who came up through the ranks, recruited from the meat packing plant for her knowledge of Spanish as a native speaker to teacher education preparation, to successful teacher in a dual language program, to graduate studies in administration, to her current role as principal for the very program that now influences hundreds of students each year. The power of language, language-as-right, can be seen through its ripple effect across a whole generation of students in the Midwest. I will miss Richard deeply, yet the impact of his work lives on and will continue to positively influence language learners.

We lost a wonderful person and mentor. Dr. Ruiz was a key advisor on my dissertation committee and helped me immensely to get on the right track. I also took a couple of classes from him and I found him to be humorous and very intellectual. I learned a lot from him. Later when I started teaching in the department, he helped me in numerous way. My prayers are with the family.

Richard was indeed the best. Being with him always made life seem better. His spirit, wisdom, compassion and empathy were unsurpassed. Th best colleague I ever had.

Dear Marie, Zachary, and Daniel,
One of my most powerful story listening experiences and memories of your husband and father is of Richard and you, Zachary. When you were a student at Corbett Elementary and I was the librarian, you and your father told in tandem - two different versions of the story of your dad's aunt, who had mystical powers. You performed the story at the Tales of Arizona, Then and Now Conference on the UA campus. That was a long time ago but I will always remember Richard telling that story - as nephew, father, and teacher -sharing family culture, language, and lore with his son and the community. Richard will live on in our stories, memories, and our hearts. We were blessed to know him.

May your spirit be whole and at true peace. May your loved ones be blessed with the love of family and friends and the knowledge that there is now one more brilliant star in the sky shining down upon them.
Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford (Tucson, AZ)

Marie, I am heartbroken for you and your boys. You are always in my thoughts and prayers. I am so very sorry for your loss.

As one of Richard's doctoral students, I was greatly inspired by his intellect, his scholarship, and his unwavering advocacy for bilingual education. He was also the best speller and editor I've ever known, in his second language!
Condolences to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.

Dr. Ruiz was an amazing person. Humble, kind and passionate about his work, family, students and life. He put others before himself and created opportunities for us, his students, always thinking about what experiences might offer valuable insights and encouraging us to connect with one another. He inspired commitment and dedication and urged us all to be better people, not just better educators. I miss him and know all of his students feel a great loss. Warm thoughts and hugs to Marie, Zachary and Daniel and all of Richard's family

My sincere and deepest condolences. I only had Dr. Ruiz for one class while earning my undergrad, he truly was an inspiration and a great professor. May his family find peace and strength in God.

Dr. Ruiz was a great inspiration in my professional development. His view of language policy changed how I practiced.
My condolences to his family.
Alejandra Sotomayor

Dr. Ruiz was one of my advisors when I was completting my graduate degree. I appreciated his gentle, humorous, and positive reminders when completing my coursework.
His presence will be missed.
My condolences and prayers go out to his family.
Nancy

My sincere condolences to Rich's family, friends, and colleagues. He will truly be missed in the Tucson community.


I met Rich playing volleyball at pickup games at "Bear Down" in the 1990's, and enjoyed his quiet confidence and competence on the court for many years thereafter.

Richard -- inspiring mentor, brilliant thinker, gentle spirit, and tireless advocate for social justice. His thinking, writing, and teaching on language policy and planning, and on bilingual and language minority education have had enormous impact in shaping those fields. Certainly they have on me: among my memories of Richard as my professor and adviser at UW-Madison in the 1980s are exploratory conversations in his office about what became his seminal conceptual contribution on language planning orientations; the year-long dissertation writing fellowship he applied for on my behalf, unbeknownst to me while I was still in the field in Peru; our co-authored (never published) article on Quechua language planning in Peru. Our paths continued to cross over the next decades for one thing, we were among few U.S. academics who regularly taught a language policy seminar; later we worked together as editors of the Anthropology and Education Quarterly, an enterprise to which he brought his trademark good humor and penetrating insight. I have just re-read an afterword he wrote for a volume put together by several of my students and colleagues and am reminded once again of his wonderful knack for making everyone else look and feel --good. A generosity of spirit all too rare in our world. Descanse en paz, Richard, you will be greatly missed and affectionately remembered.

Dr. Ruiz was an exceptional educator, a selfless citizen and a unique mentor who touched and lifted lives to unimaginable heights. The several candles he lit will continue to glow and grow in multitude.
Thanks Richard for being my professor, mentor and a friend.

Richard, you were a wise and gentle soul. Your leadership and mentorship will be missed by so many including myself. Thank you for your generosity and commitment to education.

We appreciated Richard's leadership and teaching at First E Free Church. Our love to Marie and family.

Un gran hombre y colleague.

Dr. Ruiz was one of my professors while I was earning my administrative certificate. He was very bright, very interested in what his students were thinking. I am sorry he has died so young. There was much left to contribute. We are less without him.

Dr. Ruiz thank you for being such a wise, understanding leader as one of my most outstanding professors at the University of Az. I am honored to have taken a few of your courses. You were one of the few honorable and humble professors I have encountered in my life. One sound gentleman that will be vastly missed. Bless your family for their loss.

Richard was a pioneer in language policy and planning. His scholarship shaped the field and his intellect and perspectives shaped those of us who stayed in academia or went on to applied pursuits to increase access to quality education for linguistic minority peoples all over the world. I was one of Richard's first graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; he was my advisor, professor, mentor and friend. Richard had a huge impact in the direction I took in my professional career as well as in personal life and that lives on. My most sincere condolences to Marie to their sons. Mil gracias, Richard! You opened my eyes and ears to a whole new way of seeing and listening to the world.

Richard was my dear friend and colleague in many arenas. We shared serious scholarship as well as policy battle scars. We spent time in the trenches as the Clinton/Gore administration took the reins of power away from Bush numero uno, as well as in the anti-bilingual wars of Unz. He held my son Luis in his arms when he was a baby, an Instamatic picture that I will look for in my garage. We shared Harvard, Stanford, and AERA. I cannot believe he is gone, because I expect to share a drink with him at AERA as we always do. Thanks, Richard, for these great memories. Your gentle kindness with the firm spine beneath it is a role model for us all. - Kenji Hakuta

As a friend and volleyball teammate at many tournaments, Rich will be truly missed. My sincerest condolences to Rich's wife and family.

Dr. Ruiz, was a powerful voice on Language Policy, Multicultural education, Critical literacy, and always stressed the role language plays in our lives, our schools, and globally. He was on my dissertation committee, and helped me point out the policy of language. He was a scholar, a teacher, an advisor. He was wise, gentle, loving, and I was blessed to have to call him my professor. My condolences to his wife Marie and his family and friends. I carry a piece of Richard in my work and life as a Professor, husband, and father. He was the perfect role model for so many of his students.
Thank you Dr. Ruiz,
Jesse Turner