Mario A. De La Cruz

Mario A. De La Cruz, age 61, of Novi, passed away on July 10, 2026. He was born on August 9, 1964 in El Paso, Texas; son of Ignacio and Gloria (Ortiz) De La Cruz. He was united in marriage to the love of his life, Leonor Arreola, on April 16, 1993. Together they shared 33 years of unwavering love, devotion, and dedication to their family.

Mario graduated from high school in Juárez, Mexico, before attending Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León in Monterrey, where he earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. After graduation, he began his career in the automotive industry in Mexico. His goal was to work for one of Detroit's Big Three automakers, a dream he achieved when he joined Chrysler and relocated to Novi, Michigan, in 2002. He later continued his career with Joyson Safety Systems, where he remained actively employed.

Mario was a tequila connoisseur who was truly the life of the party. A master of karaoke, he was known for taking center stage and rarely sharing the microphone. Confident, charismatic, and a true gentleman, Mario never missed an opportunity to hold the door open for the women in his family or even complete strangers. Above all, he was devoted to his family and keeping them close was one of his greatest priorities.

Mario enjoyed tackling home improvement projects and took great pride in creating his family's backyard oasis. He also loved traveling with his family, with Cancún, Mexico, holding a special place as his favorite vacation destination. Mario will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who knew and loved him.

Mario is survived by his devoted wife Leonor; his daughters, Alex De La Cruz and Karla De La Cruz; his father-in-law Angel Arreola; his siblings, Maria (Juan) Quintana, Ignacio (Julieta) De La Cruz, Lolita Corral, Gloria Avilez, Eva (Carlos) Coranado, and Claudia (Sergio) Jaramillo; and his nieces and nephews, Juan, Silvia, Ivan, Edgar, Erick, Vivi, Paulina, Fabian, Andres, Jorge, Daniela, Carlos, David, and Andrea. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother-in-law Miguel Corral, and his mother-in-law Bertha Arreola.

A funeral mass will be celebrated Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 10:30am, with visitation beginning at 10am at Church of the Holy Family, 24505 Meadowbrook Road, Novi. Rev. Father José Roberto da Silva França will officiate the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate memorial contributions to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Donation Processing Center, PO Box 5041, Boone, IA 50950-0041.