Ed was born on April 10, 1934, in Tacoma, Washington and passed away peacefully in Puyallup, WA at home in his favorite chair on May 28, 2024. He is survived by his children; Edwin III, Corky, Bill, Shelly, Laurie, Cheryl and Bruce, his brother John Cruzan, and his many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

Born as the third hearing child of deaf parents, Edwin Caswell Cruzan Sr., and Cleva Imogene (Manley) Cruzan. Raised in American Sign Language (ASL) he learned to speak from friends and family that were not deaf. His father worked for a boarding school run by Dominican Nuns, known Marymount Military Academy in Spanaway, Washington. Ed attended school there from 5th to 8th grade as a day scholar, then went to Puyallup High School. In 1951, he joined the Navy at 17 years old. He was a Korean War Veteran and proudly served his country for 8 years, which includes 4 years in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

In 1957, Ed married Betty Dean (Dempsey) Cruzan. They lived in Tacoma, Washington and had five children William Dempsey, Thomas Cruzan (deceased), Edwin Caswell Cruzan III, Corky Dean Cruzan, and Shelly Rowden. He provided for his family by working as a sheetrock contractor for several years and owned a seasonal side business selling Christmas Trees known as "Cruzan and Sons."  After attending a Billy Graham crusade, he gave his heart to the Lord and became a Baptist minister, starting many new churches throughout the Spanaway and Tacoma areas, served as the Chaplain of VFW (Post 969), and started his own business, Cruzan Construction. They were married for 34 years until Betty passed away due to a lung-related illness in 1991.

Ed was remarried in 1994 to Gloria Cruzan who brought with her three adult children Laurie Lamola, Cheryl McKeen and Bruce Harmon. Gloria brought the "dance" back to Ed and together they enjoyed square dancing, continued serving the VFW as Chaplain and enjoyed their new "bigger" family! They were married for 28 years until Gloria lost her battle to Parkinson's Disease in 2022.

At the age of 89, Ed sold his family home of 53 years and moved into Wesley Homes Bradley Park, located in Puyallup, Washington. There he lived the remainder of his life to the fullest, spending it with friends and family.

Ed humbly served God and his country, loved his family, and joyfully shared his stories with anyone who would take the time to listen. On any given day, if you asked him how he was doing, he would answer emphatically, "I am FANTASTIC! Praise the Lord!"

The best things in life are the people we love, the places we have been, and the memories we have made along the way. ~ Author Unknown

A life fantastically lived deserves to be fantastically remembered. Please join us as we celebrate the life of Edwin Caswell Cruzan Jr., on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 12:00 – 3:00 PM, located at Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 969, 3510 E. McKinley Avenue, Tacoma, Washington 98404. We will be gathering to share our favorite memories, followed by refreshments and snacks in his honor.