Héctor “Chichi”
Mercedes
Obituary
Héctor “Chichi” Mercedes Cruz, 71, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, passed away on Saturday, June 1.
Héctor was born in La Romana, Dominican Republic. He grew up in the poor sugarcane farming village of Higüeral, aka “Campo Alegre”, living in his grandparents’ house without running water or electricity.
When Héctor was 14 years old, he joined his mother in Puerto Rico performing housework on an estate where the owner taught him the fundamentals of drawing and design that would eventually serve as the foundation of a successful career in architecture.
While in Puerto Rico, his musical talent and skill enabled him to join the Merengue band, El Conjunto Quisqueya, as their original bassist. During his 6 years with the band, they performed in many countries and played as the house band on the daytime TV program “El Show De Mediodia”.
Héctor met Diane Mercedes in Puerto Rico and moved to the United States in 1976, first to the Bronx, NY, and then Indianapolis, Indiana. He and Diane were married for 34 years and together they had 5 children: Héctor, Michael, Brian, Javier, and Christina.
It was in Indianapolis where his drawing talents blossomed into a successful architecture career. He participated in the design of many high-profile projects, including the Hoosier Dome, Union Square Mall, and the Natatorium in Indianapolis, the Fort Wayne Wizards baseball stadium, St. Mary’s University library, Southside High School greenhouse, and an Adirondack Mountain Estate that was featured in Architectural Digest.
During this time he also continued passion for music, playing with the band “Profile”. He also served as a translator during the 1987 Pan American Games, where he had the memorable experience of meeting Muhammed Ali.
Héctor lived in Fort Wayne for the past 37 years. He played in the band at both St. Jude and St. Charles Catholic Churches, coached his sons’ baseball teams, volunteered with Junior Achievement, and worked as an advisor at Lincoln Financial. A core characteristic of Héctor’s was his persistence, and it was this trait that had him pursue his education for over 12 years, culminating in two bachelor’s degrees.
Héctor left his mark on the Fort Wayne Music scene, co-founding the cover band White Canvas with Laurel Brown, his partner of over 10 years. Under Laurel’s tutelage, Héctor obtained his licensure in the insurance industry, where he was a successful agent for the past 8 years.
He was a prolific artist, sharing his drawing, painting, and musical talents with both his family and his community. Héctor could often be heard playing the Beatles on his guitar and Beethoven on the piano, as well as singing for his loved ones – often resulting in impromptu karaoke sessions and hours of smiling and laughter.
Héctor was preceded in death by Gabriela Cruz (mother), Pascual Mercedes (father), and Elpidio and Angelita de la Cruz (brother, sister-in-law). He is survived by his children: Héctor (Missy) Mercedes of Greenwood, IN, Michael (Christin) Mercedes of Austin, TX, Brian (Emily) Mercedes of Fort Wayne, IN, Javier (Sabrina) Mercedes of Austin, TX, and Christina Mercedes of Arlington, VA, as well as his 9 grandchildren.
The memorial will take place at Divine Mercy Funeral Home on June 5th from 5-7 PM. Mass will be celebrated at a later date at St. Jude Catholic Church.
Services
Divine Mercy Funeral Home
Condolences
When uploading images, please allow the images to fully transfer before submitting form. Image thumbnails will appear below the comment box.
Comment required for image uploads.
20 total images or 20Mb max.
He has been our neighbor and watched over me while alone when Gary worked. I have never met a sweeter and compassionate person my whole life. You will be so missed. Fly with the angels. Gary and Mary CARNAHAN
Mercedes Family,
We are friends of Mike & Christin in Austin, and go to Christ Lutheran Church with them. We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Hector. We have heard about him from Mike and Christin, and know he was a remarkable man – he will certainly be missed. Our prayers are with your family during this difficult time. We pray you find comfort in the cherished memories of Hector, strength in the love and support of family and friends, and hope in Christ our eternal savior.
All our best,
Taylor & Mitch Teeters
Mercedes family, we are so sorry for your loss. We know how much your dad meant to you all. You all are a great testament to his life and legacy. We’ll keep him and your family in our thoughts and prayers.